When I started dating I must admit I was a little hesitant telling girls that I gamed, fearing what they would think, but that quickly ended. I worked in a gaming/comic store through college so I wore my geek badge proudly.

These days I openly tell people about my hobby if it comes up in conversation. It’s not something I push for, if it happens I tell people and if they want to know more I’ll tell them what it’s about. My coworkers know, and actually know the night I play and avoid calling me or sending extra work my way that day.

My significant others have NEVER been into gaming, or geek life in general. It might have caused some tension, but no more so that football or poker night for any regular couple. After my divorce (for reasons other than RPGs) I made appoint of telling women I dated I gamed. I figured if they thought it was a negative (hey you can never tell), my other positives would make up. If she couldn’t understand it, hey it was not meant to be! My current girlfriend supports it and understands my passion for RPG.

BTW, my first post here, and I must say I’m really enjoying the blog. I don’t read many, a mixture of too much work and RL keeping me away from really actively participating in blogs, but I mist admit I REALLY enjoy this one. Kudos!

but like most people, I try not to be obnoxious by talking about the minutiae of the latest session to people who just don't care…

the same way I really don't care when people start talking to me about football like I should give a damn…

I can't think of one person I've run into in the past five years that has had a problem with D&D on the level that Patrica Pulling does. Nor has anyone even asked about me worshiping the devil. Personally I'd forgotten about the stigma until reading this article.

So my question is, is there anyone that still feels this way?
.-= Tyson J. Hayes´s last blog ..Apathy Rules for Introducing a New Player – Introduction =-.

WOW ,that was long speech that said just about nothing eh?
.-= Bonemaster´s last blog ..A Bestiary of My Very Own =-.

I only talk about it if it comes up in conversation with people outwith my gaming group though.
.-= Bob´s last blog ..The Simple Traps =-.

But I've found that you have to tell those that aren't familiar that whatever you're playing is like D&D, because they just don't really know what roleplaying is.
.-= Jeff Carlsen´s last blog ..Apathy Rules for Introducing a New Player – Introduction =-.

Why am I so open abut it? Well, I have two min reasons: One, you never know who's also a gamer; and Two, TO FIGHT THE STEREOTYPE. I'm a fairly charismatic fellow, I have a wife and a kid, I hold down a job, I make friends easily, I like to wear a clean shirt and I shower daily. I'm not a catpiss man. The way I figure it, the more that non-gamers are exposed to the reality that average, every-day people play role-playing games, the more they'll just accept it…like they do with scrapbooking, and fishing, and watching football and crocheting.

And all things being equal, life's too short for me to feel shame about the simple things that make me happy.

I've found that the hysteria surrounding D&D has largely abated, especially with the rise of games like World of Warcraft and Grand Theft Auto. I mean, there are bigger fish to fry out there.

I wear shirts emblazoned with D&D logos, Pathfinder Society factions, and other geekery to work and in public in general with nary a second thought about how people will react.

Of course, I've already gone through hell (4 years of active duty with the Marines), so nothing really phases me and I think I have enough of a "don't f*@k with me" attitude that the people that would normally say something think twice.

By now, everyone at work knows I'm a gamer and that I write about RPGs and that I go to the cons. Everyone in my family has known it for ages and all my in-laws are aware too (I'm sure it irritates that hell out of the handful of religious zealots related to my wife).

The last time I encountered any real flak (besides harmless joking) was when I was a tween. Of course, it might be different if I had made other choices and had a different demeanor.

But at work, it's verboten. A couple of my co-workers know, but beyond that, I maintain a corporate / professional facade because, like it or not, RPGs are one of those things that can significantly affect other people's perception of you in weird, intangible ways. It's one of the reasons I write my own blog under a pseudonym and work very hard to keep my "online footprint" very small when it comes to gaming. Now that companies are making more of an effort to do web searches and a little online investigating before hiring a candidate, it's not always in one's best professional interest to make it known that you're obsessed with Cthulhu or elves or mostly-naked barbarians or "dark magic"…
.-= Badelaire´s last blog ..Halloween One-Shot Adventure: The Winner =-.

My one concession to the obscurity of the hobby is that nowadays in casual conversation I usually say I play D&D instead of "role-playing games" even though I almost never play D&D, just because it's easier than explaining.

.-= Joshua´s last blog ..Out-RAGE-e-ous Accents =-.

And while at work, I like golf and I like beer and wings and I care deeply about whatever inane sports drivel the client wants to talk about before a meeting. Because all of those things are just part of my job, and I do them because Im paid to. I am not paid to be myself, and the unique and brilliant snowflake with the wierd hobby doesn't get the corner office.
.-= Zzarchov´s last blog ..Halloween Creature Feature – Peripheral Terrors =-.

I talk about it with a few non-gamer friends who seem interested, but they normally either wargamed when they were younger and/or play videogames, so it's less of a jump
.-= Hammer´s last blog ..Review: Rogue Trader =-.