Embarrasing Interests

I'm having trouble being comfortable with my own interests. Telling people about what I like can be the worst. So, I'd thought I'd start here. Well, when I was very little, my family would play games together. Those were really good days, although they didn't last very long. The games included all types, including video games. I was strangely good at them and liked them, but everyone else just played them once and awhile. However, I continued to like games as I got older. However, one incident caused me to never tell other people I play games and hide the fact. I was playing at a house my parents were visiting with my siblings, and the other adults had a kid about our age. We would usually all play together. However, I will never forget when the other adults' daughter came out of her room stone faced to me while I was playing a video game by myself and saying with a glare, "We're in there while you're out here... Playing video games." She put so much disgust on the words that I just hated myself for it. I think she was upset because the other kids always made me be a character they didn't want to be, and maybe she ended up with that role.

Also, during my early teen years, I started playing games even more to escape from reality. I was living in an abusive situation, and I couldn't connect with other people my age and make friends. I felt very isolated, and played games in order to feel like I was part of something.

So, I never admitted I like video games. I don't play them now because of embarrassment, although I would like to once and awhile, in a healthy fashion when I have free time. And I never admit I do.

I'm always so worried about seeming weird that I never mention a lot of other interests too. I have an interest in fashion I never show, because I'm afraid people will see me as vain and stupid... How would people see me if I told them I like dressing up in pretty clothes that I look good in? Or that I really like colors to match on things?

I have other interests I never admit... I like to believe in spirits. I believe that it's important to feel at "one" with the world once and awhile. I like board games for the feeling of togetherness it has. I like reading mystery stories. I like reading about dark things too, such as accidents that happened or could happen... I don't know why.

There's just so much I'm embarrassed of...

What's so embarrassing about playing videos games or dressing up in pretty clothes? I wish I knew how to play videos games.

You're obviously very interesting so please don't do this to yourself. Besides that, if all these things make you happy, it doesn't matter what people think.

No read on to feel ashamed of any of those things. Video games - you can go to college and get a degree in video game programming. It's a big interest for millions, and big business. Nothing wrong with it.

Fashion - another big business. Maybe you should ignore the critics, embrace your passions, and turn one of them into a career.

Thanks... It took a lot to admit those interests, actually. I know they're common these days, but still, I had some things to get over to admit I liked them. Thank you for your replies. I already have an idea of what I'd like as a career, but I'd still like to pursue these interests once and awhile. Also, I forgot to mention, but I do worry about dressing up pretty because people act a little more distant when I do dress up more. I get the feeling they think I dress up to look "more attractive," not prettier... I just don't want to get attention for dressing up. Well, maybe I should just only do so in situations I feel comfortable to do so.

Mowtown Johnny read my mind!!
Lots of people make careers out of video game testing and design, and many see fashion careers as glamorous!! I do anyways

It is strange how young people are discouraged from things that can make you a very successful, happy, and well-connected adult.

Follow your bliss! You will attract like minded people

There is absolutely nothing wrong with either of those interests. You aren't doing anything wrong and you aren't hurting anyone. There are many people in the world who share them. They're both multibillion dollar industries for a reason. The people who give you pushback for them just don't understand them (or maybe they generally have a chip on their shoulder about something, who knows). They may have interests that you don't get. Everybody is different. Indulge your interests as much as you want when you want. As far as the clothing, most people (if you haven't noticed) don't dress that well. Even if you try a tiny bit, you're going to stand out on that basis alone.

Those interests are not weird at all. You might just not know many people in your circle that share the same interests. I enjoy many of the same things you do, including video games! My husband loves video games too. We often play board games together and we are in our 30s. Don't be ashamed, it's more a matter of finding other people who are into the same things you are.

I don't think that she thought video games or liking them was weird so much as the fact that you chose to play by yourself rather than with her....you chose a game over another person. While I'm totally with you on that a lot of people are very social and consider games to be something you play when alone...ironically these are often the same people who will texting on their phone instead of interacting...either way games are cool and my closest friends still play games at 40 and it's something we connect over...

I get dressed up and play video games and see nothing wrong with it.
You can't let other people tell you what you should be doing.

I love video games and dressing up in pretty clothes my hubs and i have to negotiate xbox time when we get new games and my oldest has known his way around a controller since he was three. we set limits on the kids of course but the fun part about games as an adult is no one telling me i need to go do something else! i was playing skyrim when i went into labor with my last one... lol

I think your interests are pretty damn awesome and totally normal!!

I loooove video games. I'm a 30 year old female. I don't get to play them all that often because I'm usually too busy, but I enjoy spending my Christmas holidays bingeing on them and having my own little marathons! I have a tattoo of Navi (fairy from Zelda) on the front of my shoulder... which I got last year, when I was 29. I determine "cool" people by who recognizes her

And board games rock. As does enjoying dressing nicely!

Here are some of my interests:
- video games!
- reading (I am a big YA fantasy fan... and loads of others! But I'm always in the youth section of bookstores)
- I still enjoy watching cartoons/anime
- writing
- travelling
- canoeing/hiking
- drinking at the pub
- board games with friends
- interior design
- collectiong antique cameras and coins
- photography
- online comics

I've got quite a selection, and I'm sure I've left loads out!

Our interests are allllways ok. Always. I'm sorry that people have made you feel ashamed of what you like! If you want to boost your confidence, join online communities with people who have similar interests to you!

Also, my grandma, when I was a little little kid... was also obsessed with Nintendo! She could play the original Zelda game in one sitting without dying... she had it memorized and drew her own map that she put on her bedroom wall. My cousins and their friends used to call her for help.

Thanks for all your responses. It was nice to read what other peoples' interests are, and that I'm not alone.

A Red Panda, it sounds like you had an awesome grandma! I've heard the original Zelda game is very, very difficult. It sounds like you've got some amazing interests. You must have a lot of fun. Also, I would recognize your Navi tattoo. She looks like a shiny ball with cute, simple wings that resemble a fly's wings. I played Ocarina of Time when I was a little kid. I couldn't beat it until years later , but it was a lot of fun and I loved the puzzles. My favorite character was princess Zelda.

I suppose playing games is like reading or watching TV. Joining online communities with similar interests sounds good. It would be neat if there was an interest thread here where people could go just to list their interests.

Here are some of mine:
I enjoy reading. I like nonfiction books about things I'm interested. I also like stories with fantasy elements in them. However, I'm not good in connecting to them if they have too much fantasy or violence in them for some strange reason. I also like writing and hiking. I actually don't like writing nonfiction, but fiction. I like watching movies, too.

Sometimes psychotic, I hear you. That girl was very young and was probably jealous of my time. I had just never forgotten how scathing her words were. For a long time, I had thought it was about the video games themselves. I had wanted to play video games with other people many times, but when it occasionally happened I would get so embarrassed I had a hard time enjoying our time together. I guess I need to work on that.

I love board games, but so many people find them seem to find them boring, especially at my age. I'm in my very early twenties, so maybe it has to do with my age. It's hard for me to find people who enjoy them.

I notice when people are wearing things related to video games, and I do see more of it in college. I suppose people of that age are more comfortable in their interests than in high school. However, I've always felt that wall of mean talk from when I was younger. Most of my family acted like my interest in video games was something foreign to them and strange. I often didn't have the nicest relatives, who would make fun of what I did, no matter what it was. They just thought I was fun to make fun of, I suppose. Well, I enjoyed venting that. I feel a bit better.

Now that I think about it, it wasn't a supportive household.

i think video games are different for the older generation (by older i think boomers). my parents are boomers and they indulged my SNES wants but they didn't 'get it'. i played like Diablo II in college and had LAN parties. that was like a decade ago. now i love dragon age, skyrim, fable. i tried playing final fantasy because i was soooo jealous of all my friends that got to play it on the PS2... and i think my daydreams made it better than it was. hubs is going to get me dragon age inquisition for my birthday (caaaaaan't waaaait). i also want to play diablo 3 alas, funds and children keep me from buying all the games i want and playing as much as i want to. i haven't picked up skyrim in a year (yup, being in labor was the last time i played lol). but i've been playing heroes of dragon age on my tablet which is loads of fun.

haha. i could go on and on about it.

i also like to write. read. do crossword puzzles, go for walks and listen to music. i want to learn to ballroom dance and i wish i had an excuse to wear evening gowns somewhere just because. i love fine dining but don't have the $$ so when i'm not painfully depressed i like to experiment and make my own fancy-pants meals. i would love to have $$ to travel as i grew up visiting all sorts of places.

weirdest thing - i like to read fanfiction.

Are you in college right now? If you are... there are BOUND to be student clubs for different kinds of gaming - you should totally join one! (Yeah yeah... terror over social situations!) OHHHH you should look for a D&D group!!!! Combines board games with fantasy stories! hahaha.

If you're not still in college but live in a city you can usually find clubs too. Especially if there are any game/comic stores, they often have knowledge over things like that!

ETA: also, if you enjoy writing, you should join NaNoWriMo (it's a writing challenge in November.. the goal is to write 50,000 words in the month) and most cities and that have meet ups of other fellow writers! It's great for social aspects and for making yourself write (even if you don't get 50k!)

Good suggestion. I love NaNo!! It's so much fun!!

Me too!! I moved to a new country for a few years, and it was when I first did Nano. Met a LOT of amazing people who formed my social group for the few years I lived there... and absolutely loved it. I was also hugely proud of myself for actually GOING to the first few write-ins!

What year is it? I took off after you gave me the NaNoWriMo suggestion, Red Panda. And... Oh my gosh, I am so in! I love hard work+original stories+somewhat short term goals. It's great! Thank you so much for telling me about it.

I am in college right now. It was always a little more embarrassing for me to admit I liked playing games because I am a girl and other girls didn't seem to like playing games as much or didn't admit it, I thought. But then again, I didn't spend much time talking to others, so I only assumed so. Plus, I was the only one other than my Dad and maybe a few other relatives who liked games. About clubs, that sounds like a very good idea. I guess I'll just reign in my shyness and try joining something. If it doesn't work out, I can just join something else. Thanks a ton for your advice.

NowhereUSA, I used to play Final Fantasy games. I did play the tenth one on the PS2. It was a dramatic game, but I liked how much it tried to show real people in the situations it presented the best it could, although probably not perfectly. I really liked the story. I had first played its sequel and got a very misguided look about what the story was originally like. The two were like night and day. I then played the 12th one and it was also very different. It was less about characters and more about short story sequences about the main conflict, not the characters, and exploring large areas. I did play Skyrim. I liked the freedom, although I was a little sad they reused the textures and enemies a lot. I guess as big a game it was, it was understandable. I'm glad you play games wisely, too. By the way, when I was a teen, I used to write fan fiction. I wrote some pretty darn funny stuff, too. I enjoyed taking a character I liked and working off of that. Plus, I did join a forum of people like me who did the same thing. Although I would have never been allowed to talk to anyone online and I did it in secret, I was able to build up my self-esteem and social skills doing so. It really was a good thing, and I was smart about it. I think it was better to talk to good people online once and a while than not very often in real life. About ballroom dancing, my only thought is why did the interest in it die out? It's just seems so pretty and elegant a sport. I would love to wear a ballroom dress, although I never have. I too enjoy cooking, although I think I'm not good enough yet to make expensive foods. I'm giving myself some time first, and slowly working my way up to more complex dishes.

For me personally, I like video games that have fun logic puzzles you need to think over and also good stories. Same with books, now that I think about it.

fanfiction is fun

oh i had so much time to play video games in college. of course, now a decade later, less time, but still i love it. if you ever want to go WAY old school i recommend Myst... which upon googling i discovered i can download for my iphone ROFLOL. i may dig out myst & riven again. oldies, but goodies imo. i remember when people were like ooooh graphics... man i wish they'd make it for xbox. i'd love for them to revive that world in HD <3 it's been so long i've forgotten the storyline.

oh thanks for video game reminders i'm a girl and i love video games and it's always fun to find other people who love them too!

Definitely give nano a try!! I'm sure your university will have people taking part - just join your region and start a thread to see if there's anyone at the same school as you taking part! Can easily meet up for write-ins then and get to know people - and the best part is? You talk for a bit, but you spend most of the time writing! Social activities + minimal interaction!!!! And there's a gauranteed topic - writing and books!

Good luck finding some clubs to join! I was always waayyyy to chicken to join a club (which seems ridiculous because I do not actually come across as a shy person!)

Also... I love being a girl who likes games. The look of shock on people's faces sometimes! Especially guys. It can be priceless. Also, if they're into the same games as you it's a great way to spend time together - and some guys will find it super hot. Then again - some of them will be SUCH jerks if you kick their butt at a game! (Don't think I said this... but I have a tattoo of Navi from Zelda... only tattoo I have. If people recognize her they are AUTOMATICALLY in my Cool Books!)