Conventional Wisdom

Today's mail brought me, in addition to the usual array of Pay-Us-Or-Die missives, a very nice letter from the organizers of Chattacon (the local sci-fi convention) thanking me for past support and reminding me that it is time to start planning for next year's bash. Would I care to volunteer? Make my check payable to...

Friends, if you've ever had a great time at a con, consider the folks who organized it. You can't even begin to imagine how much work, heartache, and general-purpose bullshit is involved unless you've been a part of it. I'm talking about smaller, local cons, not the big corporate wank-fests like the one in Indianapolis every August. These local get-togethers truly are labors of love for the organizers, who not only don't make any money off of them, but often bear a substantial burden in the form of lost time on the job and actual out-of-pocket investment.

And if you've never been to a con, I encourage you to scour the Internet for one in your area and check it out. Admission prices are generally less than one of my bar tabs and sometimes include free beverages to boot. Even if (like Chattacon) the main attraction is just a party, how often to you get to party with fellow geeks without feeling self-conscious about it? Guests, vendors, and games are the bonus if you look at it that way.

So will I be volunteering for Chattacon '10? Not this time, I think. Rather I'll watch to see who they line up for guests, then pester someone who runs a certain website that deals in...shall we say RPGmp3s (wink wink nudge nudge) to get me a press pass. What can I say? The Powers That Made Me gave me many gifts. Shame is not among them.

Tell me your convention stories.