It takes a village to raise yourself a geek.

So this past weekend several members of the cast, our close friends, and significant others got together to celebrate our geekdom together in what I would call a Mini-Con; this was only compounded by the fact that it was also May The 4th Be With You weekend and the imbibing of much booze. So what does a group of no-good-nik nerds like us do when we gather en mass? Well exactly what you would expect; we played tabletops, video games, talked about the things we love, shared the ones we thought other should know, and argued the ones that people just don't appreciate.

This sense of community is one that I am sure many hobbyists or enthusiasts share, but the level of diversity of people and their passions at these kind of gatherings or even Cons is what is always most impressive. Half of the things that I have learned to love were taught to me by my fellow geek in passing. One of the first times I met other role-players outside my circle of friends, they introduced me to LAN parties and taught me the joys of PC gaming along with a new edition of D&D to boot. The first time I got hooked on an MMO was by a acquaintance at a Mini-Con. This past weekend I was introduced to X-Wing minis, and my girlfriend to Ticket to Ride (she loved it so much that I stopped and bought her a copy of on the way home from this very Mini-Con), both of which are great. The finest thing you can do is share your passions with others of the same mindset, but more importantly with someone that wouldn't normally have the chance.

I encourage any of you to do the same. No, you don't need to have a three day long geek-a-palooza in your house or back yard (though you should because it is AWESOME), but just the regular gaming night with friends where someone brings a game to teach everyone else. Also check out your local gaming or comic shop - they always know what's up from Friday Night Magic, to local D&D games, and more. Last is the most obvious place, the internet. With sites like MeetUp I have gotten the chance to roleplay with whole new casts of characters, or just found new places to hang out and meet fellow gamers.

The lesson here? Make yourself a village.