I'm Just a Geek Too

I love Star Trek. I'm not ashamed of it. I fall in the category of The Next Generation lovers. I don't much like the original Star Trek and I've never gotten into the spin-offs from TNG. I'm sure they have their redeeming values, but I'm just not interested. Give me Jean-Luc Picard and William Riker any day, baby. I love the story lines, the characters and all things Trekkie. I remember watching it with my dad when I was a young girl after I'd had cleaned up after a hard day's play. In fact, I don't think I knew there was an original Star Trek until years after I had been watching TNG. By they way, that's what the cool people call it: TNG. Only acronyms here.

I never had strong feelings about Wesley Crusher. I had more of a little-girl crush on Riker than on Wesley. I secretly wanted to be Deanna Troi and I really liked Geordi LaForge. His visor was just cool. As far as I knew, Wil Wheaton--who played Wesley--had disappeared into obscurity after the end of TNG. That's pretty much what happened, but not because he wanted to disappear. I read somewhere on the internet that he had gotten quite a following from his website and blog, so I decided to check it out. I didn't see much that interested me from the website, but I did notice he had written some books. Out of curiosity, I checked out "Just A Geek." Well, one thing Wheaton definitely can be described as is geeky. I have a geeky husband, so I can recognize true geekiness when I see it. Love of technology, all things computer, gets excited about new advances in such fields, reads lots of fantasy and sci-fi, etc. I love my handsome geek. Anyway, Wil Wheaton is a geek, according to the attributes listed.

In this book, he writes about the creation of his website and his transformation from frustrated actor to writer and blogger. It was a long road and Wheaton describes it painfully and honestly. Seriously, why do people become actors? The rejection, the frustration, the critical evaluation of your looks and talents on a constant basis all seems like so destructive of the human spirit. And yet, people go after it over and over again. Reading his book, I couldn't help but keep wanting to grab him, give him a good shake and maybe a slap across the face and tell him to get a real job and move on. But he loved acting. He didn't want to give it up. I can understand passion about something, so I'll forgive his stubbornness.

Wheaton is really honest about his mistakes and failings. He's also honest about who ticked him off or screwed him over during and after TNG. He doesn't hold anything back in his writing, which makes you sympathize with him, but it also shows how immature he can be. He loves his wife and stepkids, but acts really self-involved at times. I guess he's just a person, really.

I think the best thing he ever did was start writing. He's funny and clever, scorchingly honest and can assemble his words pretty well. Other than his perverse love for the "f" word, I thoroughly enjoyed reading what he had to write. Partly because of all his fun inside info on TNG cast members, but I'm geeky like that.