Hello and welcome back! If you’re joining this series for the first time, make sure to start by reading part 1 here. And if you’ve been following along, thank you and welcome back! Today, I want to have a bit more fun and focus on my development of interests over the years. Because when it comes to my writing in particular, there’s no doubt these nerdy interests of mine helped shape me and the world of Evorath.
So, ready or not, let’s take a deep dive into all my nerdy interests over the years.
The Early Years (0-12)
Years 0-5 are really nothing of note, unless you consider me busting my head open and getting stitches at 2 years old. And coincidentally, I married someone who did the same! But as usual, I digress! And while I don’t attribute much from this first decade or so to the formation of my character, the early interests are worth exploring. Why? Because the types of entertainment I enjoyed and the things I explored have a direct impact on my interests today.
Knowing that I can’t recall exact ages, let’s consider what those interests looked like from the ages of 5-12, understanding these interests are conveyed in a relative way, rather than an exact chronological fashion. After all, this was over twenty years ago we’re talking about!
Like most young boys, my tastes were somewhat all over the place. And like many others, two of those younger interests were pirates and dinosaurs. I’m not sure when exactly fantasy was mixed into the mold, but as I mentioned last week, Fantasia was my movie obsession growing up. But, I was introduced to all the classic Disney movies, grew up hearing bible stories (and some animated representations of them), and I also watched shows like Animaniacs, Sonic the Hedgehog, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the like. So, let’s talk more about those TV-based interests.
So Much Screen Time
Being a parent today, I hear a lot of so-called “experts” reference screen time addictions and the danger of media. And I’m not discounting those completely, but as I grew older, I started down the path of more screen time. I can speculate on some contributing factors, but one thing is just the reality that I didn’t have many friends and found it difficult to relate to people, especially kids my age. My mother’s accident and subsequent disability likely contributed too -with her bed-bound and unable to get around, it was easy for me to entertain myself with electronics.
Beyond the popular shows listed above, I enjoyed things like Gargoyles, The Mighty Ducks, Swat Cats, Pirates of the Dark Water, and perhaps even some more obscure shows. I also had the introduction into Star Trek, watching ToS and growing up to watch TNG and VOY with the family. After my mother was disabled, we made a family habit of Friday night movies and would often watch Star Trek together as a family (or at least the members of the family who cared to sit and watch it).
Early Lessons in Worldbuilding
Of course, no childhood would be complete without playing with toys and exercising one’s imagination. I had no shortage of time to play by myself or occasionally with my younger sister. From playing with action figures to building all sorts of haphazard structures with Lego, I was making up stories for as long as I remember. I had all sorts of adventures I came up with. Whether it was having my Star Trek action figures find themselves in the world of Dragonball Z, or just building out my extensive Lego world, I spent quite a few hours in my bedroom.
In fact, I could say my Lego playtime was the first world I really built. I mean, I had pirates (and their British navy foes), medieval sets, and some modern sets with planes, cars, and even space ships. But I came up with stories for each of the Lego figures, had clear villains, and even crafted storylines. Don’t get me wrong, in those early years the stories were usually pretty basic and the characters pretty shallow, but there was no denying that I always had an interest in the macro side of worldbuilding.
What Am I Leaving Out?
Obviously, this is just scratching the surface. Like I said at the start of this series, I want to look at buckets of interest, rather than trying to approach this in a strict chronological fashion. So next week, I’ll talk more about the nerdy inspirations I grew up with. Specifically, I’ll focus on video games and reading, and talk about the evolution of my interests in high school.
For now, I hope I’m giving you a greater glimpse into who I am. So, whether you’re working your way through the world of Evorath or reading something else entirely, have a blessed week and enjoy whatever tasks lie ahead. Until next time!
– Joseph P Macolino
Scribe of Evorath History
