Refuge

This is the third time I started writing this entry and its second title. I scrapped the first two before I was finished with the first paragraph. It was just too negative.

I was going to lay out just how incredibly difficult life has been and how overbearing today was and what prompted the last entry and what happened since... but it's just not worth it.

So here goes.

Those of you that have been here from the beginning know that, in June of 2003, I became a huge fan of Wil Wheaton. You know that he inspired me to start blogging. You also know that I am a huge Sci Fi fan.

And since 1977, I have been a huge fan of Sci Fi conventions.

I recall the first one I ever attended: OKon. I was ten years old and Movie screens were still glowing from the release of Star Wars (what we would later know as "A New Hope"). One evening, I came across a commercial with four people against a white background dressed as Princess Leia (she did the talking, I think), Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and what I'm pretty sure was supposed to be Chewbaca (he growled at the end). They talked about the convention where there would be fans, movies, a dealer's room and special guests (nobody overly famous). I asked my mom if I could go and she agreed to take me on Saturday.

The convention was held at the Mayo Hotel in downtown Tulsa, OK. To this day I can still see the red and black carpet that adorned the lobby. In the center of the lobby was a grand staircase stained a dark mahogany with the same red and black carpet snaking up its center. On the second floor, an ornate railing of the same dark wood encircled the center of the lobby...

I still love and miss that old hotel.

Mom took me downtown Saturday afternoon, plunked down the $5 or so for the daily pass and sat in the lobby reading a book. I flitted around the rooms that my penguin-adorned badge with the word SATURDAY in big, bold, black letters allowed me access to. I recall several times, being only ten years old and simply fascinated with everything, running back to my mom with a "guess what!" (the highlight of the day had to be Hardware Wars)

I don't know how long we were there. It may have only been an hour but it must have been one of the fullest hours of my life. Eventually, it was time to go but I've been going to Sci Fi conventions ever since.

I was originally planning on attending Starfest 2004 in Denver this year but finances and timing make it all but impossible. Given its geographic proximity, however, I rarely miss Trek Expo and this year will be no different.

I only wish June weren't so far away.