I have to admit I was a nerd before nerd was a word. It was only later in my life that the term “geek” could be applied to me. I have a class picture from my eighth grade year book listing showing me with hair plastered down with Brylcreem (a little dab a do ya) with black thick rimmed glasses (which are very chic now!) And a pocket protector.

Yes. A pocket protector. If you don’t know what that is, bless you! It served to carry my pens and my slide rule. In my defense, digital calculators came out when I was in the ninth grade.

It wasn’t until the tenth grade I rebelled against the short hair and the heavy glasses. I grew my hair out as long as school rules permitted. There was an actual measurement of how close your hair could come to your collar and how low your sideburns could extend. I pushed the limit and got some gold rimmed glasses. I was now very groovy and hip! But I was still a nerd and still a prehistoric geek.

This past weekend I took my adult daughter to GEEKD con in Shreveport. The first time I took her to a comic-con or anima convention was in 2005, MECHACON in Lafayette. I was shell shocked at what I saw and experienced but since then have settled into the fun to be had at these events. It should be noted that Casey and I left Lafayette on Sunday morning in 2005 right ahead of hurricane Katrina!

Of course, in order to really enjoy such an event, one must cosplay. If you don’t know what that means, it’s basically dress up as your favorite character from comic, movies, television, etc.

In the past, I gave in to my daughter’s request and I have been Indiana Jones, a Jedi Knight, the 4th Doctor, and most recently, the War Doctor. Now that I am, ahem, mature in age, the War Doctor and the older Indiana Jones are right down my alley. Casey has pulled off almost every iteration of the newer Doctors from Doctor Who and a host of anime characters I have no experience with.

The event was HUGE! We went to the first convention in Bossier City ten years ago and it was quite modest compared to this weekend. I also remember the line to get in to that first convention was almost a quarter of a mile long!

My daughter wanted to meet some voice actors, once again from anime shows, and I had no idea who she was talking about. I wanted to meet Bret Iwan, the voice of Mickey Mouse as I am a huge Disney fan. Also, we wanted to meet John Barrowman, the actor who portrayed Malcolm in Arrow and Captain Jack Harkness in Doctor Who and Torchwood.

I want to say that meeting each of these celebrities was so shockingly pleasant. Their love for their fans was obvious. Barrowman came out from behind his table to meet and greet every person, sign autographs and pose for selfies. Bret Iwan was the most humble and down to earth person I met. Kat Cressida, a genuine surprise guest I did not realize I knew, played Kat in Babylon Five but also has voiced many Disney characters such as Jessie, and the bride in the attic in the Haunted Mansion (my daughter’s favorite ride) along with other Disney characters. We spent almost fifteen minutes just talking and visiting with her and she shared some of her audition stories with us. What a sweet person!

I attended Bret’s panel and loved hearing his stories about how he ended getting the job of voicing Mickey Mouse after Wayne Alwine, the voice of Mickey for decades, passed away. Such a sweet and inspiring story.

But then, oh my goodness, I attended John Barrowman’s panel. I have never heard such foul language and nasty jokes packed into one hour in my life. But I have to admit I laughed so hard my throat was soar. He was definitely not for the PG13 crowd. In fact at one point when answering a question he asked the guest how old he was. He replied, “14” and Jack just said, “I’m in trouble!” BTW, he was wearing a dress that looked like the TARDIS and white high heel shoes.

However, I did meet one special person. S. K. Davidson, a young woman, alone at her table, has written a science fiction novel, “An Unforeseen Genesis” and I am enjoying the book. I sensed upon meeting her that her spirit synced with mine and I believed she was a believer. After reading her book dedication, I was so pleased to read in her dedication that she is a Christian. Check out her website.

Also, my son Sean informed me of geekdevotions.com, another Christian site dedicated to celebrating geeks who just happen to be Christian and more. Check out their site and their Youtube channel.

So from the ridiculous (Barrowman) to the sublime (Bret and S. K. Davidson) it was a fulfilling and fun experience. Next year, I’ll be there probably as Indiana Jones, the old one who barely made it though Dial of Destiny. You can jeer at me then!