What I Like About You

I've been feeling a lot of negativity around lately - from social media, the gaming community, and the internet in general.

I don't want to talk about that. That is, I don't want to add to the negativity.

I want to talk about something positive. I want to be positive!

I want to talk about things I like.

So what is it that I like?

I like...well...I like a lot of things.

This month, that's going to be my focus. I am going to talk about things I like and what I like about them. I want to share my likes with the likes of you (heh - see what I did there?) and hear about your likes.

I'm going to try and avoid talking about my dislikes, which is hard. I - like pretty much anyone and everyone who would be reading this right now - am a geek and we geeks are a very opinionated lot. It's because we're passionate about our interests. Isn't that the very definition of the modern geek? We like what we like and we don't like what we don't like - both to the extreme.

I often talk about my dislike of things, from particular games and styles of play to the direction my favorite franchises have taken. It can be therapeutic in a fashion to vent one's frustration or disapproval of things that they deeply connect with.

I tend to (or I try at least) do it with a sense of humor. That humor can be snarky, even biting, but again I feel that getting it off my chest is better than keeping it inside. Besides, if readers agree I feel a sense of camaraderie with my fellow nerds. If someone disagrees, perhaps they will make a point that has me revisit my opinion.

The point is that disliking things is OK, and talking about your dislikes is fine too. I just don't want that to be the focus of November.

I'm inspired by the idea of Thanksgiving - not the holiday itself and what it represents but my own family's take on it. You see, for us it is the most family holiday there is. It's when the small, but very tight Barking Alien tribe gets to together to celebrate surviving the world we live in. It's giving thanks to whomever or whatever you feel like giving thanks to that we're all here, that we love each other, and that we will always rise up from adversity because we always have.

In conclusion, get ready for a month of Likes. Of things I like being liked. Of the word 'Like' being used like there's no tomorrow.

Like it or not.

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