25 Facts

25 Facts

Here, have a Twitter trend. Most of the people doing this on Twitter are using TwitLonger, but that's what this blog is for to me so I don't care.

The first game I played was either Kirby Super Star or Mario Kart 64; they were at roughly the same time, so I don't know which it was!

I was homeschooled through 10th grade, went to gifted school for my junior and senior years, and I'm now in my second year of college studying Computer Science.

Even though I live off campus, I don't drive - I rely entirely on the good will of my roommate and other friends. I have a permit but not a full license, because driving makes me super tense!

I was mostly alone while I was homeschooled, so I struggle with social interactions. Some social "rules" like genderization and professional dress simply don't make sense to me, and I'll often question them when I first encounter them.

I grew up in a moderate Christian household, but I don't force my beliefs on others. In fact, I try to keep my friends diverse, discuss opinions, and question things - it's part of how I was raised.

The first game console I owned was a Dreamcast my parents bought me one Christmas. I remember nearly being in tears at the end of its life cycle, when my parents had me trade it in for a Gamecube. I don't question that decision now, it's one of my favorite consoles!

A hurricane that hit around the time of Katrina left me with paranoia and panic attacks for a few years. The panic attacks recurred while I was at gifted school, but I've mostly recovered now.

I have yet to hold a job for the first time. I'm currently waiting on one job that I applied for while I look for other options.

I love designing things, but I can't draw worth a flying fladoodle! Most of everything I've made is some sort of technical design or based off another person's work.

I think I've finished Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door about twenty bajillionty times, plus or minus a bajillion...ty.

If I don't know someone very well or if my shyness kicks into hyperdrive, I'll often try to make the person laugh. It turns out I speak less the more I know someone - because I'm spending more time listening.

The last point only applies if I'm in an active conversation with someone. If I don't know someone I may never speak a word to them at all, even if I want to get to know them. Then I spend time listening to them from a distance, lurking around and learning about them... it's quite creepy how much I might know about someone before I've even spoken to them, or I guess before they've spoken to me.

Despite my introversion, I adore my family and friends. They mean the world to me, and I would do almost anything for them.

As a kid I never really got the chance to play anything F-Zero or Mega Man, so I'm retroactively going back and playing them now. I really wish I'd been able to play them back then!

I'm a quick thinker, so I tend to prefer games like Puzzle League or Puyo Pop over Fire Emblem or Shining Force. It wasn't that way originally; back in gifted school I was the last person out of the test room, now I'm almost always the first.

I have a profound fear of failure that has colored everything from my interactions with people to my motivation in starting big projects. (Like maybe doing Let's Plays?)

I didn't have internet access until 2010. Even then, I wasn't very active anywhere until I left for gifted school.

Anytime I bring up how proud I am of my sixty Tumblr followers or the few comments I got on a mappack, my younger brother brings up his thousands of Instagram followers. That's where he posts pictures of the food he made or something (he loves cooking and hopes to start his own restaurant).

Speaking of my family, my mother has an English degree and my father is a hospice chaplain with a Master's in divinity. My brother is actually my cousin; we adopted him when he was nine.

Until I was around twelve or thirteen, I would frequently get headaches that would progressively get worse throughout the day until I threw up. Family, friends, and doctors were all equally baffled. Some of the theories we had were allergies (milk and/or tomatoes), motion sickness, and eye problems; although we took precautions for each, none of them worked. Eventually the problem just went away by itself.

I wore reading glasses for about two years to combat the headaches, even though my eye doctor said they weren't very corrective. Apparently I have slight astigmatism, but otherwise my eyesight is "as sharp as a hawk's."

I was afraid of being in a romantic relationship until I learned about my asexuality around when I turned 18. Since then I've only been in one relationship, but I'm much more comfortable with the idea.

I've had plenty of things I want to get into, like drawing, music, photography, Let's Plays, etc. but I haven't taken the time to really try yet. I need to get myself on that.

I carry a satchel with me that contains every portable thing that I use daily. My main computer, pencils/pens, cords and chargers, games, a pillow... I almost carry my whole life with me at any given time. I'm ready for anything! Except I can't carry consoles with me so it's not quite the complete package.

I'm still writing this at midnight and I have a class to get to at eight in the morning, I should probably sleep...

Working on more levels for my mappack! This is a good start to 2015.

I had a unique question posed to me the other day: where would I be if I hadn’t gone to gifted school?

I was homeschooled through 10th grade. Toward the end of that school year, my mom kept telling me how she couldn’t keep up with what I was learning. I was mostly teaching myself from the books at that point. Homeschooling was no longer a sustainable idea, unless I wanted to teach my mom instead of the other way around.

My dad decided it was time to put his plan into action. He’d said for years that I should go to public school for my last year or two, so this seemed like the perfect time to start. My parents called the local high school to see if I could be transferred in.

They said no. They’d never heard of my curriculum (The Well-Trained Mind, if you’re curious) and weren’t interested in approving it. My parents called multiple staff, the school board, everyone. No dice.

I would start school there in the ninth grade, they said, and test out of all my classes until I was at the level I needed to be. This testing would take a few weeks at the start of the year - which meant I’d already be behind! - and then, only then, could I continue in the 11th grade. Obviously this became a last-resort option at best.

The next option was to take the GED. It’s a high school education equivalency test USUALLY for people who didn’t pass high school, but it can be taken at any age (including early!). So I could take it and go straight to my local college. The problems with this were twofold: first, most employers don’t consider them equivalent, so I would have a hard time getting a job until I got a degree; second, my local college would not be enough of a challenge for me, but it would be the most viable option in terms of finances. Despite this, it was my favorite idea of the two.

My mom learned about the gifted school a few weeks later. I had to mull about the decision for a little while, actually. I was almost leaning toward the college, but let’s just say there was some spiritual intervention and leave it at that. I’m very glad I did go to gifted school; it was a wonderful, stressful blessing, but a blessing all the same.

But let’s say that didn’t happen. Let’s say I took the GED (because no way was I going back to ninth grade!). How much would be different?

I would be in my fourth year of college, barring any financial issues. I’d probably still be taking computer science, but not have learned nearly as much as I know now in my second year.

I would never have learned about Mari0, nor its community. I wouldn’t have made any of the bunches of mappacks or tilesets - or more importantly, friends - that I made.

Speaking of friends, my few friends would be a couple of years older than me. Right now I’m the eldest among most of my friends by at least a few months. (Except one, who’s 3 years older, but he’s new.)

Probably wouldn’t have started a blog, or if I had, it would have comprised mostly reblogs.

I wouldn’t be as efficient with the internet in general. Learning about xkcd, or Twitch, or Steam, or social media trends would have come very late, if at all... although I’d probably have an active Facebook account.

I would be quieter than I already am. I’d probably have a couple of friends, none from college. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had to deal with bullying.

Would have had my first job by now. My dad always talks about how he had his first job when he was 14, so he would have pressured me into it (or I’d need it to pay college fees). Probably would have been in the food service industry, making me quite miserable as that’s not my forte.

I’d complain about all the easy, busy work and not do any of it. (Wait, I did that anyway)

Definitely wouldn’t be as tolerant of opposing ideals. I consider that one of my best qualities, and I learned it at gifted school. I’d probably argue with everyone, all the time, forever.

May have transferred to another college due to lack of interest or that possibility of bullying.

I think I like where I’m at right now much better.

[WillWare is sitting in his room, alone. Enter Smart Alex.]

Smart Alex: Hey look, you're in your room by yourself again. Looks like you've been busy, eh?

WillWare: As a matter of fact, I HAVE been busy. Been hanging with friends and getting work done. It's been a productive couple of weeks.

Smart Alex: Wow! Impressive. Sounds like things are going pretty well for you, for once.

WillWare: Har har.

Smart Alex: Ever start any of those projects you've been jabbering about so much?

WillWare: No, not yet. Haven't found the motivation. I'm enjoying the ride right now.

Smart Alex: What's to lose? What, are you afraid something's gonna come along and kill your progress? That's never stopped you before, heh.

WillWare: ...

Smart Alex: ...Wait, you're serious.

WillWare: A little bit, yeah...

Smart Alex: Come on, dude! It's not like the universe is going to kill you if you try something new.

WillWare: It's not about trying something new!

Smart Alex: Then what is it? Scared? Too much work? Not enough people breathing down your back? I bet I can get someone on your case if you--

WillWare: I'm scared I can't finish what I start, okay?

Smart Alex: ...Something from the outside, or something from the inside? Cause I've got a pet snake, I can make it something external.

WillWare: [mutters] where the hell did you get a snake

Smart Alex: Tell you what, I can make this one easy. Finish this conversation.

WillWare: ...what?

Smart Alex: Finish this conversation with me. Right now. That way you've finished something. Confidence!

WillWare: Is this a trick? [glances around for camera] Are you setting me up?

Smart Alex: What? No. I'm trying to be nice to you. I know that's not exactly normal of me, so you should take advantage of it.

WillWare: But--

Smart Alex: If you doubt my generosity on this one, I could just stay here for a few hours and leave on my own terms.

WillWare: ...Um... Okay then. Thanks for coming by.

Smart Alex: See you later! And do get some work done, won't you? [Exit.]

[WillWare pulls out his computer and starts clicking away furiously.]

Smart Alex: [from behind] How's it going?

WillWare: HOLY FRICK-- [jumps] WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!?

Smart Alex: Good, you're hard at work. Get back to it!

[Smart Alex pats WillWare on the back before leaving. WillWare grumbles as he resumes working.]

friend: i'm here for you if you ever need me!

me: *needs friend*

me: i probably shouldn't bother them

“This week I’m gonna get out and be social again! I’m gonna make new friends and smile at passersby and chat up my friends and be a ray of sunshine to everyone!”

the other six days of the week: “Shut up with all the noise, leave me alone”