The Geek Gene Gets Passed On...
Some of my relatives seemed to be shocked that I had the temerity to breed. My geeky hobbies seemed to them a phase I should have outgrown at puberty. We named our daughters some traditional Irish names, which didn't pass muster for at least one relative ("Maybe when she gets older she'll choose to go by her middle name"). And my career making videogames! Though only one grandmother-in-law (who was never altogether "there" in the time I've known her) said something aloud and to my face ("Is that all you do, Jay, is play games?"), I had heard some mutterings at one family gathering that amounted to the hope that I'd get over it and get a REAL job.

(Well, as it turns out, many years later I did, but now I'm back in the games biz after having learned that the more business-y "real job" IT world is just as screwed in the head as the games business --- though it usually pays a little better. But I digress.)

My wife insisted that our children have piano lessons. She demanded that they have X years of piano lessons, after which they could decide whether or not they wanted to continue with the instrument. She was never specific on the value of "X," but the assumption was it was some time period after which they'd be at least relatively competent.

After years of fighting with her over piano lessons, my oldest daughter has reached the point of X, I think, though I don't think we've yet informed her that piano lessons are in any way optional yet. However, she has now learned that she can find sheet music for music that she likes, and that she is now skilled enough to tackle just about anything. So while the relatives might still shake their heads at the fact that she plays so many videogames, they can at least rest easy knowing that her two other major hobbies are drawing, and playing the piano.

Nice and traditional. My relatives can breathe easy. I somehow managed to raise a somewhat normal daughter. Maybe the whole family scandal thing about me having offspring can finally be put to rest, right?

Oh, and what she plays on the piano? Yesterday I got out of the shower listening to the unmistakeable strains of "One Winged Angel" - Sephiroth's theme music. Followed up by the main theme from Final Fantasy X. My daughter loves videogame music even more than I do. And at a family music recital, she played a wonderful piece on the piano that none of the relatives recognized. As it was also from a videogame. Nobody knew.

And the subjects of her drawing are often videogame characters. And dragons.

You know, maybe I just won't tell 'em that the geek gene has been passed on to another generation. After all, it could be just a phase. I just haven't grown out of mine yet.


(Vaguely) related cackling:
* Out-Games By My Daughter!
* My Daughter, the Game Designer Superstar... to be
* Zelda String Medley
* Teenagers and D&D

Labels: Geek Life

- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 6:00 AM (Permalink)