Age of the Geek

Past and presents
     It has happened.
     This year for Christmas, I asked for clothes.
     Not a novelty t-shirt or Star Wars themed underwear. Just plain old khaki pants. The same kind of pants I got for my birthday. The same pants I spent an hour waiting to buy on sale after Thanksgiving.
     They are very comfortable pants.
     And though they aren't on my list, I wouldn't mind getting some nice sweaters or button down shirts either. Something warm to expand my wardrobe in the winter months.
     This is it. The end is here. At the age of 32 I think I've finally become an adult.
     It's all downhill from here. Soon I'll be thinking about mortgages and become very concerned with derivatives and other grown up things. I may even start wearing ties.
     Or not. After all, my wish list still consists mostly of cartoons, comic books and related merchandise. Mostly things I want, just not enough to buy for myself.
     And now, included among those items, khaki pants.
     It's interesting how priorities change. At long last, I think I've discovered the secret behind the trope of out-of-touch grandparents giving disappointed children socks and sweaters for Christmas.
     Putting "it's the thought that counts" aside for a moment, let's be honest. The measure of a good gift depends on how much enjoyment can derived from it. Something as mundane as clothing generally falls pretty low on that list, particularly for children who see clothing as a chore to take care of for a year until they inevitably grow out of them.
     Growing up to become a gift giver as well as a receiver, I never understood my mother's desire for new sweaters and slacks for holiday presents. I bought them anyway, but I always wondered how much somebody could possibly enjoy a new shirt.
     I get it now. Once upon a time, I wanted more books, movies and video games than I could ever possibly read, watch or play. Now, from a practical stand point, I pretty much have that. My bookshelves are lined with novels that "I'll get to someday," right after I've beaten every video game on my PC and watched every movie on my Netflix list.
     I'll always want more, but I can't honestly say I need more. There simply aren't enough hours in the day to enjoy it all. Which reminds me, I got a Star Wars puzzle for Christmas last year that I should probably put together.
     Right after I watch the new Star Wars movie…and finish reading the Star Wars novel I've been working on…and maybe finish the story campaign in the latest expansion of the Star Wars MMO...it never ends.
     In days of old, particularly before the Internet, free time was in abundance. I read every book I had, then read them again. In recent years I've taken to collecting figures of my favorite fictional characters, partly to sate my collector's impulse and partly because the only time investment required to enjoying them is the time it takes to look at them when I enter the room.
     These days, a good gift is something I will use. Not something that "I'll get to later." Something like a new pop filter for my microphone, or a good medium sized pot, or even just a nice bottle of wine.
     And that is how pants end up on Christmas lists.
     A movie I'll watch once and put on my shelf for eternity. A book or video game I may start, but who knows when I'll finish it. But a nice pair of pants, that's something I'll get mileage out of. I wear pants nearly every day and I'm far less likely to grow out of them nowadays.
     Which reminds me of another good gift idea. A gym membership.
     Travis Fischer is a news writher for Mid-America Publishing and if he can't stop from growing up, hopefully he can stop from growing out. Happy holidays!