Nerd Happy Hour

As some of you know, I collect comic books.  I used to read my brothers' comics when I was a kid.  When I got to South Africa, me and one of my housemates started collecting again from what had to be one of only a tiny number of comic stores in the whole country.  We were lucky to have the store located under a mile from our place, and bored enough with limited social options to start reading again. 

I kept going once I got back to the States.  Having a friend who also started reading again (he shall remain nameless, but he owns a Hurricane mask) helped support my habit.  At comic book stores, you often get to know the owners and the people behind the counter.  You chat about books and about pop culture.  Well, this tore especially focuses on being social: one Wednesday (new comic day), I came into the store to find a bunch of people standing around drinking beers.  The owner told me that for the past 18 months (almost since the store opened), they go to Chadwick's late night happy hour near the Friendship Heights Metro.  Did I want to come?  "Maybe next week," I said. 

So the following week, I went.  It was surprisingly fun, though I kept feeling like I wasn't quite geeky enough or exclusive enough in my reading to be sitting there.  Given my reading habits, I felt a bit like a Dave Matthews Band fan surrounded by hipsters.  But everyone was friendly - and believe it or not, the crowd is not exclusively male. 

I've continued to go, and the happy hour has certainly opened a few more social doors.  More stories are sure to come from this. 

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