The Count's Un-Goth Confessions

My last 2 posts have been very serious and very in depth. I wrote about Cholo Goth and I wrote about getting healthy, this is not that. I want to take a more light hearted approach for this and talk about my guilty pleasures and un-goth passions.

I've been drawn to the darker side of culture since I can remember. Anything weird, abnormal, spooky, or dark had my undivided attention. However as we've talked about on the show, trying new things, looking for new experiences, and expanding your interests, is good for personal growth and development. While I was a pretty normal kid, my adult life is mostly filled with the spooky and dramatic, however I've listed several interests bellow that are not.

I thought I was a pretty cool kid.

I'm a firm believe that no one should consider anything they like as a guilty pleasure, that said, here are a few guilty pleasures.

16 and Pregnant: Embarrassing, yes. Having already had a child, it's almost comforting to watch someone else suffer through that process, and it's sort of like watching a train wreck. I try hard to consume media that has some challenging or thought provoking aspect to it, but sometimes I just give into my lesser side. That said...

Gilmore Girls: My wife started watching this show on netfilx, and I scoffed and mocked her the whole way. However, sitting at my computer doing work while she watched across the room, I was subjected to the show much of the time, and eventually it sucked me in like a minnow to the maw of an anglerfish

Gaming: I'm a big gamer, table top, card, video, whatever you got I'm probably interested. Some of my favorite games include The Elder Scrolls series, Vampire the Masquerade, Hearthstone, Killer Bunnies, and Dungeons and Dragons.

Oh I guess I like Big Bang Theory as well, here I am DMing a small dnd game.

Nerd Culture: I suppose gaming falls into this however, nerd culture is obviously a much wider umbrella. Personally I enjoy comics, sci-fi and fantasy (literature, film, etc.), technology (I work in I.T.), and anime. Many of my friends, perhaps most, are nerds, and for most of my life, even before I knew what a nerd was, I've been on. Socially awkward, shy, deep thinking, and friendly, I have found geek culture to be quite a lovely home, and nearly as  important as my goth identity.

Craft Beer: If you've ever listened to Cemetery Confessions, you probably know I'm a connoisseur of fine ales. My love for craft beer began about 3 years ago, and I've put a lot of time into learning how they are made, what the histories are, what makes each style unique, and drinking them of course. I've even dabbled in home brewing before, and I've waiting in line for several hours before the sun comes up in bellow 0 degree weather for a beer release. One of my most enjoyable pleasures is introducing a virgin to craft beer and watching their mind be blown when they realize the flavors and sensations available to them. Here's my wife and I at the New Glarus brewery:

The lesson here is do what  you love, and be who you are. Never try to fit yourself into a box that you don't truly identify as, and don't be afraid to try new things, in fact, go out of your way to try new things. Stretch and challenge yourself, and don't arrogantly dismiss others passions and likes, rather get to know them and try to understand their perspective. Finally, really think about why you enjoy what you do, and whether it's beneficial, or a waste of time and energy. Have you learned from it, have you grown because of it, has it made you a better person. Above all, no matter what you do, stay spooky!

--The Count runs the Cemetery Confessions podcast and The Requiem Podcast. For more info on The Count, click here.