I don’t think of myself as a nerd or a geek. Some people just have to talk bad about people that do things they don’t understand or don’t care for. Some people think since they don’t like it, its wrong to do it. I HATE PEOPLE LIKE THAT!! [:(!] The way described your town sounds like you live around my neck of the woods? Where are you from Benchman?
Hey Benchman, I’m the same age as you, have a wife very supportive of my hobby (she probably feels that this is the lesser of all evils), and as an engineer, find that modeling is the perfect creative outlet. I started as a young kid, probably 7 or 8, and never lost my love of it, although I went through periods where I just could not find the time. Now that my kids are in their late teens, I do have the time, and recently got back into it more seriously.
My observation is this…just go to a any craft store and see the legions of people, mostly women, who are engaged in some sort of creative outlet. OK, so they like the floral stuff and the knick-knacks, but a creative outlet nonetheless. At work, I leave my issues of FSM out in plain sight, and a lot of people like to look at them and just say “wow” at some of the photos. Modeling also keeps us a little connected to our youth.
I have a patent for a container handling system and was thankful that I could build a couple of static models to explain the system, which is too complicated to explain on paper. I got to display them at trade shows, and enjoyed seeing folks’ reaction to what they saw.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a model is worth a thousand pictures!
Have fun!
I am currently getting my 5 year old daughter into modeling. She has built a VW bug with custom paint [;)] and an F-14 with… uh… urban camoflauge! My 6 year old nephew wants to build, and after trying ot talk his dad into sitting down and helping him build one, I have decided that I have to do it! He said no, he doesn’t see the point. I guess some people just don’t get it, but htats ok, it just erked me that his father won’t sit down with him and help him for an hour or so. I know my father always looked at my models when I was a kid, and always said they looked good. Now that i grew up, he came in my room the other day (I confess, I live at home, and I’m 27. Does anybody know a better way to save money for a wedding? [:)]) and was amazed at how much my models had improved over the years, and its all thanks to him getting me started and helping me with my first kit! My fiancee doesn’t particulary care for the hobby. She doesn’t bad mouth me or building kits, she just finds it boring. Not her cup of tea, no big deal, she still thinks some of them are “way cool, dude”, just don’t try to take her and a 5 year old girl to a hobby store. You will be sorry, they get bored, and I get to chase them around telling them to stop shaking the boxes[:o)] The owner thinks its great, he said his wife is the same way.
Benchman, I am an unrepentant geek in my profession (science), my hobbies (modeling, machine work), and in my entertainment (reading).
Actually, telling someone about my hobby is a good filter. If they give me, " I thought building models was something kids did", I can be almost sure they’ll be of no interest to me and vice versa. My experience has been that the “sophisticates” who look down their noses at modelers spend their time instead on other deeply enriching activities that don’t interest me.
On the other hand, if someone shows an interest in modeling, or better yet, shares the hobby, I find I usually like spending time with them. Patience, research, attention to detail, the pleasure of creativity - these “geek virtues” are found in people I tend to like. (I also homebrew beer, and I find the same virtues in this group too.)
Geekism is vastly underestimated.
Benchman, I’m 46 and reengaging the hobby after a 20 year break. I think you ask a worthwhile question, “what are we?” Geek and Nerd have been assumed and rehabilitated by the IT industry. We refer to Electronics Technicians as Twidgets in the Navy, another admirable title, I think. When I was in school and was the only one of my friends building, I was a Glue-sniffer, funny but not accurate. They teased me a bit but when I gave away a finished model, it always found a place of honor in the recipient’s apartment/dorm room/snake ranch. Some one more creative than me will have to come with a good catchy label. With my humble skills, you could call me a “toy-breaker.” Cheers.
I am not a geek nor a nerd, I am a dork!
[(-D] Subfixer, you should put a warning on your posts. I was drinking my coffee!
By the way, your sig line scares the @#$% out of me!
[(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D] Goods One!
Great name! Anyone know a model-maker in the film industry? Imagine the credits on a Spielberg flick, “Head Dork…Joe Blow.”
I’ve been reading (and laughing with) this forum and made a decision. I’m none of the above. I build models and enjoy it - therefore, I’m a modeler. Nothing more or nothing less.
One of my pet peeves with our society today is the habit of giving people labels (either to give a sense of ridicule or a sense of being something better). My wife is not a “Domestic Engineer”. She is (and she agrees) a “Housewife”. I’m not an “Aircraft Technician”. I’m an “Aircraft Mechanic” and proud of it. (A mechanic fixes/repairs things while 95% of the time, a “technician” removes and replaces things. There is a difference)
I have had my experiences with people calling my hobby ‘playing’ or ‘geekish’. But I do not care what others think or say! It is what I like to do and my wife is 100% behind it! My ex was not and my mental attitude suffered for it. Everyone needs an ‘out’ to relax and have some fun. Work and life in general is stressful enough. Let people say and think what they want. I will be the one left standing with my head on straight!
Hey eizzle…I be from the midwest (Kansas).
There’s a lot of “rednecks” around here and modeling doesn’t fit in with the truck drivin’, demolition derby, gettin’ wasted…good ol’ buddies trying to “out macho” each other.
Honestly scale modelling seems to be the most “mature” hobby I have. Im 35 and married and dont care what others think. When we bought our house 4 years ago I told my wife I wanted to build a half pipe in the back yard of course she gave me the look, but gave in later. But old age and the fear of getting hurt stopped the project. I also still play old school table top rpgs and have a 4’x8’ battletech urban setup not a diorama but a usable miniature setting. I love mmorgps and am hopelessly addicted to World of Warcraft and Everquest before it. I also am fairly active in midevil recreation and sew my own clothes and build my own armor. I have a 2 suits of armor displayed in our dinning room. 1 is a 1400’s era plate and the other is a suspesion laced japanese 1700’s era. My favorite music is punk 70’s and 80’s only. I also build my own computers (of course). So there it is I believe you find me to be a geek.
Hey Benchman.
I’m 47 and a few years ago about 2002, I met this woman who I thought I’d like to date. As we talked and got onto the subject of what interests we had she said that she really didn’t have any. I told her of my two hobbies, bicycle racing and model building. When I mentioned the model building she started to smile and snickered. I asked her what was so funny and she replied, “You build models? Isn’t that for kids?” At which time I said to her, well, if you think it’s for kids, I sold three of my built models for $850 this year so far so there’s more to building models than you think. After saying that to her, I smiled, stood up and said, at least I have interests and hobbies, you’re just boring, and I walked out of Starbucks grinning ear to ear. Now I’m engaged and getting married in June to a true cutie and sweetheart of a woman who loves the fact that I have interesting hobbies and she’s amazed at the work I do with models.
So be proud of the fact that you have an interesting hobby and when someone says something negative about model building, throw a historical or technical fact in their face about a model you built to let them know there’s more to modeling than gluing parts together. It’s a form or capturing history or expanding the imagination. And if they say something negative about imagination, remind them that without imagination, we would have never made it to the moon.
Sounds just like Greencaste… a bunch of mid-twenties dip[censored] trying to be cowboys[:D] Oh well, they are certainly good for a laugh!