DRAGON CON

Within a month the streets of Atlanta will be cluttered with geeks, freaks, nerds and Trekkies. Oxy-pad boys and training bra girls; programming wizards and computer hackers; the middle-aged timid husband and the out-right lonely bachelor...come together in one accord for three magical days of Dragon CON!!!!! Both Megatron and Optimus Prime will be seen strutting down Int'l Blvd while He-Man and She-Ra casually and correctly cross the intersection. Kids on skateboards with backpacks full of Ghost Rider comic books weave between their future selves.

Reservations at all neighboring hotels have been booked for months. Picture this: three manic comic book collectors, 4 Magic: The Gathering players, 2 sci-fi adventurers, half a dozen Trekkies and Wonder Woman split the cost for 3 rooms for the weekend. Geeks know how to party!!! "I've got the perfect combo in this my new Magic: The Gathering deck. Two more cards (and I'm hoping to find a top notch seller/trader here) and I'm unstoppable!" "I heard about a guy who won a 'Mox' box through a challenge!" (a 'Mox' is a rare type of card in Magic) "I hear Rick, the comic book shop owner, is liquidating his store. Whatever he can't get rid of here will be trashed!!!" "Did you see the babe dressed up as Lt. Cmrd. Deanna Troi? Do-able to the max!!! By the way, great Data outfit!" "Two for flinchin'!" "Dude, this is the only vacation I take the entire year!! I'm ready to party like its 1999 (the year of my first convention)!!!!!!!!!" Somewhere down the hall the alternative kids are meditating to the music used in the original Star Trek series. Paradise.

I won't make it to Dragon CON this year. I was approached by a few friends who saved space for me in their hotel room, but I reluctantly turned them down. Maybe next year! Dragon CON is for the everyones who are the no ones in America. Geeks take pride in their identity which is truly unique. I say everyone should go to Dragon CON at least once. Its good for your soul. Also, be gentle to you neighboring geek. S/he is counting the hours before jetting off to the "book" store for games, cards, comic books, an AD&D gaming session...whatever! They just act geeky because they know it annoys you!! Its part of their little game; begging for attention. Have you hugged a geek today?