Livejournal-style Whining Thread 2.0

[Laemkral]

You never really think you'll have to make that decision, where it's either your principles or your career. But here I am, and I either stop being true to myself, or I may just have to get a new fucking job. That's what it feels like.

I've had two fellow Lieutenants come to me saying "people are saying things about you". I've had other people come to me "worried about how others will perceive me". What is this horrible thing that is causing all this rucus? That apparently jeopardizes my career future, which may prevent me from achieving my potential? Dungeons and Dragons.

Yes, apparently because I play D&D twice a week, I will experience a limited career. Probably won't get picked for any good assignments, because I'm "that guy who plays D&D". The annoying part was I thought this was over. I thought this was handled. I was wrong.

A comment at lunch today, a "do you want to end up like him" comment in reference to a Captain who had said "Yeah, I used to play that game". A giant, fallacious logic leap that SOMEHOW D&D is the reason he hasn't seen his wife more than 8 months in 5 years. Couldn't be anything else, nuh uh. Is the reason he wasn't wearing a wedding ring down range (some people don't when working around equipment because it can get caught and cause you to LOSE a finger, and the Captain was in an ENGINEER unit, an EOD unit. I've also known people who wear it on their dog tags.) And D&D is the reason he doesn't stay on topic in a conversation. Those were the reasons highlighted to me by my "friend". What prompted this remark? Me jokingly inviting the new LT to a game, and his accepting on a trial basis, then me rubbing it in that he'd said yes and the other two present had said no.

So maybe, just maybe I made the mistake of telling my friends what I enjoy doing in my spare time and expecting them to understand that it is what makes me happy. Maybe I made the mistake of being truthful about the person I am to the people I work with. Maybe I made the mistake of thinking people by the age of 20 had learned a little something about tolerance. What a big fucking mistake.

I love what I do for a living. It makes me happy in a way I didn't think a job could. But I refuse to compromise my principles for it. Ever. Anyone talking shit about me behind my back is nothing more than chickenshit themselves. Anyone who tries to "help" me by "worrying about how others perceive me" needs to worry about how THEY perceive me because it's just closet emotions. Own up to the simple fact that you're not comfortable with my hobby. Yours are just as stupid and retarded and I will be more than happy to denigrate you in return and make you feel like a childish piece of shit for enjoying what makes you happy.

I would rather be in a combat zone where bombs regularly drop, bullets get shot at me, and sections of the road randomly explode. At least there I know the people trying to hurt me aren't wearing the same uniform as me, and the ones wearing the same uniform as me don't give a shit what I like to do in my offtime because they know when its go time that I have their back and I do my job and THAT is the ONLY fucking thing that should EVER be used to judge me as a Soldier and Officer.

I miss my friends, my REAL friends, the people who I can actually be myself around and who don't make me feel like I have to hide or be ashamed of who I am. The ones who get the same jokes as me, who laugh at the same shit I laugh at, and who don't have to be talked into watching Ghostbusters because "I watched it once when I was a kid and didn't really enjoy it". These people aren't my friends, they are at best trustworthy acquaintances, and it's taken me a while to learn that.

[Eve Z.]

Officially, my house is haunted.

[Rkolter]

So maybe, just maybe I made the mistake of telling my friends what I enjoy doing in my spare time and expecting them to understand that it is what makes me happy. Maybe I made the mistake of being truthful about the person I am to the people I work with. Maybe I made the mistake of thinking people by the age of 20 had learned a little something about tolerance. What a big fucking mistake.

By the age of 20? Without intending offense to the younger readers of the forum, if you look at 20 year olds as a whole... they're not particularly ready for adulthood.

The rule of thumb about your workplace - Do not talk about your religion, politics, or your personal life. Be nice, be fun, be a good person. But realize the people you work with have no vested interest in you.

I miss my friends, my REAL friends, the people who I can actually be myself around and who don't make me feel like I have to hide or be ashamed of who I am. The ones who get the same jokes as me, who laugh at the same shit I laugh at, and who don't have to be talked into watching Ghostbusters because "I watched it once when I was a kid and didn't really enjoy it". These people aren't my friends, they are at best trustworthy acquaintances, and it's taken me a while to learn that.

Painful lesson. But there are LOTS more painful ways to learn that same lesson.

My advice? Downplay your D&D. You love your job, and you're good at it, and it makes you feel good. D&D is not a career, it is a hobby, and even if it is important to you, it should be secondary to your career.

[BrownEyedCat]

I miss my friends, my REAL friends, the people who I can actually be myself around and who don't make me feel like I have to hide or be ashamed of who I am. The ones who get the same jokes as me, who laugh at the same shit I laugh at, and who don't have to be talked into watching Ghostbusters because "I watched it once when I was a kid and didn't really enjoy it". These people aren't my friends, they are at best trustworthy acquaintances, and it's taken me a while to learn that.

Painful lesson. But there are LOTS more painful ways to learn that same lesson.

My advice? Downplay your D&D. You love your job, and you're good at it, and it makes you feel good. D&D is not a career, it is a hobby, and even if it is important to you, it should be secondary to your career.

My advice is: Fuck them. It's a game that can be played with anything from a lot to a little equipment, wherever you are, that is in itself a social situation, and provides harmless escapism. If they don't get that, then they're idiots. And you can show them they're wrong, by continuing to enjoy your hobby and continuing to be the keen professional we all know you are.

[Killbert-Robby]

'sides, I like to think the higher-ups are smart enough to give a man his assignments according to skill and passion, and not go "eewwwww nerdddd"

Then you can laugh and throw d20s down at the bastards when you're a couple rungs higher on the ladder than them

[Jesusabdullah]

Play shadowrun instead. <_<; Or, use shadowrun as codespeak for DnD.

[Killbert-Robby]

"What's Shadowrun like?"
"Well... its kinda like DnD-AWDAMMIT"

[Dracomax]

nah.
Shadowrun is a game of chance using large numbers of craps dice in order to simulate combat and espionage.

personally, I'd keep playing, but just not mention it to the idiots who object. I gauruntee there are some higher up people in the military who play--especially since it bloody evolved out of military miniatures combat.

[Akimi]

I have to get this thing up and running in the next week because after that I'm gone for three months.

[Joel Fagin]

Ask them if they play WoW. Then ask them what the difference is.

It works on my students.

- Joel Fagin

[Brockway]

They make fun of the people who play WoW here. They call them "3rd Deck Warriors" in reference to the fact that they have free internet on the 3rd deck of the Fleet Rec building. They don't bug people about it, its just sort of a running gag.

You're in the military Laem, and an officer. Image is a big part of both those things. I'm sure you've watched Master and Commander at some point, right? You don't want to be like that one midshipman holding the cannonball. Just be a professional, and do your job well. It'll only be a problem if your supervisors think its affecting your performance. Personally, I wouldn't care though. I really don't like the whole eval process.

[Netpoet]

I hate coworkers sometimes. I have a cold thanks to my daughter's daycare, and I've been coughing and sneezing like crazy today.

So two of the salespeople have made it their mission in life to walk by my office every time I sneeze/cough and go "oh crap, there you go spreading germs again" or some other WONDERFULLY witty comment.

Finally, I got tired of the crap and went over to CVS and bought some generic day-quil and some menthol cough drops.

Now I'm medicine-headed from HELL, the menthol has me feeling like absolute CRAP... I feel about 450% WORSE than I did before...

But I'm not coughing anymore. So the comments have stopped.

... next time, I'm just going to go to their offices and start coughing on everything. Maybe I'll lick their doorhandles too. GOD I feel like crap.

>Net

[KWill]

Today was a nationally observed holiday in my part of Europe, so that means closed stores and the TV channels showed movies all day long instead of regular programming. I stumbled across Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, a dinosaur movie from 85. It's one of the first movies I remember not being able to watch due to time constraints that we ended up videotaping so I could watch it over and over again. Been stuck on Memory Lane ever since.

[Laemkral]

Thanks for the responses everyone. It's not about D&D, it's about having to hide my interests from people who are supposed to be as close as family, and part of my principles is that I NEVER apologize for being who I am or liking what I like. The only people I owe an explanation to are the authorities, and I'm not breaking any laws. This is why I'm so in favor of repealing don't ask, don't tell. Because if I have to unofficially hide my hobbies out of peer pressure, how fucked up is it to not even be able to talk about the person you love? I at least can tell my "friends" about a girl I like.

I've had enough time to cool off and vent, and I'm going to do everything I can to never ever mention any of my hobbies or interests. And if I'm asked, I'm going to be a dick about how "I do not discuss my personal interests with people it doesn't concern." The R.A. Salvatore book I'm reading is simply "a book", my twice a month delivery of comics will be simply "a care package", and D&D will be "None of your business".

[Phact0rri]

Today was a nationally observed holiday in my part of Europe, so that means closed stores and the TV channels showed movies all day long instead of regular programming. I stumbled across Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, a dinosaur movie from 85. It's one of the first movies I remember not being able to watch due to time constraints that we ended up videotaping so I could watch it over and over again. Been stuck on Memory Lane ever since.

Oh I remember this film!

[Ekolter]

Cleaning out boxes and found the prior Cookout boxes mementos. Found a moose oven glove and Mixed Myth handmade figurines among various sketchbooks.

Now see what the other boxes behold. A lot of the stuff probably is gonna go on Craigslist or head towards my mother's garage sale.

[Pimpette]

anime north tomorrow auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh

things and things and things and stuff

[BrownEyedCat]

Today was a lovely day, so I decided to walk to the library. I also went and rented a dvd.

"This isn't going to be like the last time," I told myself. "I'm going to read this book a couple chapters at a time, so I can do things like draw and be productive tonight. Maybe I'll watch the movie tonight, too! There's plenty of time to read this book and savor it properly."

Now it's 12:10 and I'm out of book. Heh.

[Eve Z.]

I got pushed out of my bed last night by some unknown force, invisible hands, however you might call it.
They told me not to tell anyone about it, because if I do, I'm going to drown and die.

Yikes.

[Ti-Phil]

Hmm, they told you that? Who is this "they" Eve?