When I was in High School, I was often embarrassed about being a gamer. Between being a girl gamer, wearing glasses, having braces, and being involved in just the nerdier clubs, I was a target for bullies, and this was long before zero-tolerance was a thing.
I got into college and found out there were others like me, although there were still only two women in most of my Computer Science classes, and I was the only female to graduate with that degree the year I walked in my cap and gown. Still, the guys were way cool about accepting a woman to game nights and other nerdy events. I started to gain a bit of confidence and allowed myself to admit that I wanted people to know I was a gamer.
When I met my husband (Ronalopolis, if he'd ever post), things changed dramatically. He loved me, not despite my interests, but partially because of them. If I have someone who loves me, I thought, that's all that matters, and I'll always have that. I became ME.
Now, I have no qualms about telling the lady at the register that I don't need a gift receipt because that toy is for me, not some niece or nephew. The Toys 'R Us employees know me by name and give me dirt on the Skylander releases. My co-workers see me playing my 3DS on my lunch break, and they treat it just as if I were reading a book like so many of them do.
Yes, I get those "waste of your life" comments here and there, but responding with "Yeah, but I don't have cable and how much time do you spend watching reality television?" usually shuts those nay-sayers right up.
