Whats "different" about you?

[soera]

I see all sorts of topics about stuff like what kind of gamer are you and what are your hobbies and what not ... but this is a twist. There usually is something about people that is not the norm of what people looking in from the outside would imagine.

I enjoy listening to Celine Dion. I dont look like it (bald with piercings and ride a Harley) but I like her voice. Its calming when Im being drove crazy by my kids ... and when I was younger, I used to have a really big attraction for her.

[jcalder8]

You mean different from the general population?

I think owning 2200 games is a pretty big difference lol

I listen the Christmas music all year, I just can't stay in a bad mood while listening to Christmas music

I hate talking on the phone to the point where I ignore calls from my wife and when I am on the phone I have to pace.

There are others but I don't think they would be considered safe for work

[disgaeniac]

One (obvious) major difference is that I lost my left hand & wrist in an amputation several years ago -BUT- what (I think) is kinda' neat about that is...that at this point in my life; it seems that most people that I meet & deal with...are more "awkward" about it than I am

Oh yeah - I also had a *Really* mispent youth (struggled with (and *eventually* overcame drug addictions, going in & out of jails/rehabs/detoxes from, basically my late-teens 'till my late 20's, spent time homeless/on the streets, penniless, etc.

Luckily, I finally got my shit together over 10 years ago & went on to get my GED, go to college, become/get certified & work as a substance (and gambling) counselor...all of this, I think, has today - worked to my benefit in shaping me into the good, decent, honest, helpful, non-judgemental, sympathetic & empathetic man that I am today.

Some lighter-hearted ones:

Hopelessly hopeless romantic (not easy when you're as sarcastic & cynical as I am); but, 'tis true 

I'm a (closet) Air Supply & Rhapsody OST fan/listener,

I *LOVE* my dogs (more than many people), and treat them more like people than animals,

I'm not at all the 1st impression that I make on people (big, tall, strong, tattoed, pierced, etc)...Ima' big softie/teddy bear to the people who know me well (I'm also *much* smarter than I look:)

I love, watched & re-watched Grease (and its music)...

...and, I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting - if I think of 'em, I'll add 'em later -

[kingrat101]

Haha yes one of my guilty pleasures is blasting Katy Perry in my car and singing along... You would not even begin to imagine the looks I get, I have long curly kind of poofy hair and big beard and curled mustache, as well as a lot of tattoos haha great stuff

[matt]

I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness (left at 18 or so). No one who knows me now can tell but that is something that sticks with you forever.

[disgaeniac]

Haha yes one of my guilty pleasures is blasting Katy Perry in my car and singing along... You would not even begin to imagine the looks I get, I have long curly kind of poofy hair and big beard and curled mustache, as well as a lot of tattoos haha great stuff

LMAO!

Me too...not Katy Perry, though -but- let Gaga start singing -
"Pokerface"...

...and I'll be getting strange looks while driving, too

Also, while probably not *all* that unusual...I'm part Cherokee (just enough to not have to pay for college

And, living down the shore as a semi-beach bum - my Cherokee blood (more than) off-sets my, pale Irish blood (which is also nice...because I'm pretty sure that's where I get my awesomely blue); blue eyes from...easily my best & favorite "feature" 

Anyways, yeah - thanks to the Cherokee blood, I've never needed to wear any kind of protection...

...FROM THE SUN ==> gutter minds

I always bronze & never burn which is pretty sweet...

[pacpix]

I am a pretty quiet, geeky, nerdy kid at my school so most people are surprised when they find out I listen to heavy metal.  Also one of my 3rd favorite sport to watch on TV is Golf.  I have only talked to one other kid at my school that actually watches it ha.

[disgaeniac]

I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness (left at 18 or so). No one who knows me now can tell but that is something that sticks with you forever.

Probably one of the faith's that I know the least about (and I know/have been exposed to tons of 'em/traditional & non-traditional:)

One *kinda*' friend in High school - used to get in a lot of trouble (little, trash can bombs in school bathrooms kinds of trouble)...before they were "cool" & passe

Didn't see him for a year or so, and when I saw him again...he'd since become a Witness.  He never really talked much about it...other than *not*-loving having to look good/wear full suits (Summer or not) & some grumbling about something involving the need (read: enforced demand; iirc) of "CHAPERONES" for things like...taking a girl to the movies & such -and- that's literally just about all that I know/have heard of it.

What's it like, Matt (if it's something you're comfortable talking about)?

Another one for myself that I thought of, back on topic - concerning "How are you different"?

- Would be an amusing difference (I think, at least - it makes me laugh sometimes:) from myself and one of the untrue *BUT* commonly spread/believed stereotypes about us gamers...

...you all know it...the one that has us generalized as ALL being 30-40-something year old, broke, jobless, out-of-shape, "losers"...still living at home w/ our parents ("in their basement") seems to get tacked-onto that somewhat often, too

Well (to my great amusement & (sometimes) evil exploitation)

I OWN MY OWN HOUSE = It's paid for...it's mine & only mine!

I *LET* my mother (and her fiance) live on the upstairs (2nd floor) of my house - I have more than enough space on the 1st floor for me, my dog, the g/f (strange; ordering 'em like that, huh?), and company.

Granted the kitchen, laundry room, garage, and pool are all on the 1st floor...but...it's kinda' ironically (or...maybe moronically) funny that I get a kick...all these years later...at the role-reversals, "full circle of life" kind of situation that has my mom living under my house & my rules 

I don't mis-use this odd dynamic...

...often...

...*Really* 

[darko]

Hmm. I'm almost the anti-nerd when it comes to my outward appearance. I'm in the business world and dress accordingly. I kind of seem like an asshole in person (in reality I don't care about the general populous...once I get to know you I'm a great friend). I'm brutally honest and really don't care what other people think about it. Some of this probably comes from being a little spoiled growing up. Nothing too crazy, but anything I could possibly complain about would be extremely ridiculous and shallow.

In high school I was popular, played soccer, etc. I have never been ashamed of, or tried to hide, my geek/nerd side...I just don't really worry about it. Everyone has always known that I'm intelligent and kind of nerdy...I just don't get any flack for it. I think it's a confidence thing. I don't really look "nerdy". I do have red hair - but it's more of a really dark auburn (pretty cool, actually).

My favorite movie ever is Lost in Translation & my current in-car listening habits include Lady GaGa, Kanye West, Skrillex, DJ Fresh, Lauren Hill, Air, & Death Cab for Cutie. My favorite album is "Give Up" by The Postal Service - which was a random one-off experimental album/group.

On a random side-note, I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church (thanks to my parents) and announced my Agnostic (not Atheist) views around the age of 16. I studied many religious views/options from about the age of 13 through college. Don't want to get into a religious discussion at all, but I feel like being Agnostic is part of what makes me "different"....at least in Oklahoma! 

[disgaeniac]

Now that Darko's mentioned music again (I know that it came up earlier in this thread, too) - I guess that I could consider myself "different" (than most) because of the wide-range of music that I *really* like...A LOT 

Seriously, I can really, very much enjoy *ALMOST* any & all types of music.

For me, what I most want to listen to and when -is- *Entirely* dependant on my "mood".

The only kinds of music that I don't like AT ALL (off of the top of my head) would be blues and/or jazz.

Some examples (of what I really like a lot) would be anything/everything from:

A). 60's & 70's "Classic" rock and (some of, what I guess some might also call "psychadelic" rock (Kansas, Eagles, Doors, Zeppelin, Mommas & the Poppas, Stones, Beatles, Hendrix, Sabbath, Deep Purple), etc

B). Just about *ALL* of the "Glam" / "Hair" / and "Heavy" & "Thrash" Metal music of the 80's (everything from Slayer, Exodus, Testament - to the more..."lighter" Motley Crue, Guns & Roses, Cinderella, Ratt, and Poison...all the way up to & including the "Power-Ballads" (I really, *really* like Power-Ballads, btw by the hard-rock & Christian band Stryper (still love hearing their "1st Love ballad, Europe (the FinaL Countdown), etc

C). One of my (most surprisingly -for some reason- to my friends...and...to the gnashing of the G/F's teeth/her grimacing:) favorites, for the last few years has been...EMINEM
Some of his beats I just find very catchy -and- I just like his rawness & uninhibited lyrics 

D).  This will just be some "other"(s) that I like a lot -

When Doves Cry (Prince), just about everything by Sublime, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, the Dead, Pink Floyd, Bonnie Tyler ("Eclipso total se Amor (Total Eclipse of the Heart)/(English & Spanish), No Doubt (Don't Cry), Toni Braxton ("Regressa a mi" (Unbreak My Heart)/English & Spanish, Spanish Guitar/Flamenco, top-40, Techno/Trance, Jam-on-It...pretty much, like I said...as long as it's not jazz and/or blues.

*Needless to say* = Video Game Music (of all kinds) is also pretty high on my list!

[kingrat101]

Musically speaking, Im in to a lot of stuff,Favorite band is Portugal the man, used to love Modest Mouse kind of fallen out of them but any more I listen to a lot of bluegrass, Trampled by Turtle mainly which I guess is kind of weird.
I also grew up in a Catholic family by 15 I was done with all of that and announced myself atheist, but every complaint I had with Catholic and any religion for that matter was the same thing atheist groups do as well, now while I dont believe in anything I have a lot more respect for religions and know a lot about them, more than my dad who was raised Catholic as well.
I think it's really unfortunate that extremists really ruin any religion or anti-religion

[disgaeniac]

I think it's really unfortunate that extremists really ruin any religion or anti-religion

Couldn't help myself...I just *HAD* to quote that shit for truth -AND- agree w/ you 100% 

[foxhack]

I'm Mexican.

Ajúa.

I can't really say anything other than that - I'm strange by Mexican standards but fit right in with most foreigners.

[jcalder8]

I think it's really unfortunate that extremists really ruin any religion or anti-religion

Couldn't help myself...I just *HAD* to quote that shit for truth -AND- agree w/ you 100% 

This can be changed to: it's really unfortunate that extremists really ruin anything

[scott]

I'm Mexican.

Ajúa.

I can't really say anything other than that - I'm strange by Mexican standards but fit right in with most foreigners.

I'm pretty sure you're strange by foreign standards too.