Same here . . . I am a decade older than you, and I did not discover D&D until I was already grown up. I was already into science and computers even then (Google "IMSI 8080" for the machine I played around with in the 70s . . .) and, yes, getting called a nerd and a geek by the self-proclaimed "cool kids."

I played D&D et al and was written off as a hopeless nerd and dork. I did not give one solitary damn one way or another about the opinions of unenlightened, frightened people who lack a "get it" circuit.

Because of my open mind, the drive to understand stuff that every nerd possesses in abundance, I became a computer guru. In the fullness of time, I spent my working life helping . . . you guessed it, the former "cool kids," the ones who could not bother to learn anything about how computers work. Now they call me to ask why the "coffee cup holder" (CD ROM tray) on their new PC is broken or where the "Any" key can be found.

So, kids, look at this strategically. Situations change rapidly, and today's cook kids may well be tomorrow's laughing stock. Today's young nerd may well be tomorrow's hot new tech guru. Embrace change, be yourself, keep an open mind, and spit in the eye of anyone who judges you by the game you play.