Giving the Gift of You

Hey all,

With Christmas rolling in, many of us are going to be spending some time with friends and family; and sometimes, it can be hard to share things that matter to you into the lives of the people you care about. Some hobbies just don't register with your loved ones, and you may have, like me, decided to just try and make peace with that.

However, after going to a store called St. Nick's here in Denver, I realized that there may be more overlap between Christmas tradition and nerd culture than I'd thought. So, here's some small ideas for sharing the hobbies you like with the people you love.

Miniatures
If you're anywhere in the painting, customizing, or even building of miniatures, you're part of a rich tradition that's well appreciated at Christmas time. Snowy villages and nativity scenes can brighten the holidays, and something homemade with the professional polish I know this hobby has mustered before can be a meaningful and treasured gift. This website has a tutorial for houses as well as one for trees if you'd like to go the "Christmas Village" route.

Board Games
If you've dived deep enough into the board game community, you've probably got quite a collection behind you. Share that hobby with your loved ones. Some families bring out battered copies of Monopoly or Yahtzee, but there's no reason your Nascar uncle might not give Formula D a try, or your superhero-obsessed nephews might enjoy a carefully selected game of Legendary. I've personally introduced my parents to Tsuro, Qwirkle, Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, Love Letter, and probably several more I can't remember off the top of my head. Gaming's come a long way from the rainy day distractions when we were kids, and older relatives might be open to learning a new game or two over the holidays.

Storytelling
It's no coincidence that some tabletop games call their game masters "storytellers". The skills you develop here can make you a gem for Christmas plays, dramatic readings, and other storytelling events of the holiday season. Psyche yourself up to take the stage and remember that those long nights over a grid map have been training you for public speaking: both in confidence and skill.

That's what I've got on the subject. If you know other aspects of the stereotypical nerd community that could enrich the holiday season for everyone involved, feel free to chime in in the comment section below.

Merry Christmas, all.