Why Wheaton?

To begin, I don't have a crush on him. We're nearly the same age and I almost never have a crush on anyone I could have gone to school with. James Frain being the exception to the rule. The new bearded Wil looks so much like my brother that Freud would resurrect himself and be uber disturbed on many levels. The BFD with Wil is manifold.



Firstly, he is a spokesperson for reinvention. I know... believe me with Madonna in town for Film Fest Four I've heard it all. I'm not talking about ways to stay in the public eye. And maybe she doesn't do it for that reason, how would I know? How would any of us know? And there is where Wil is cool. We know. We know because he shares. It isn't the buy my next [insert project description here] sharing that draws us and keeps us. It's deeper. It's life's changes deeper.



Rather than beat down Hollywood's doors screaming "I am somebody!"- get depressed when it doesn't work and go on a child actor crime spree- he looked at who he was, sedately turned on a computer and there he is so many years later telling us about ourselves. Some days he sucks as a writer just like we do. Some days he he beats technology; some days it kicks his ass just like us. Some days he's living the dream [insert your dream here] just like us and some days he's just a guy just like us. He does this blog thing that is brave, scary in scope and depth and encouraging.



Wil doesn't tell people what to believe. He tells us what he believes... agree or don't we are all still welcome. And that's the second thing I like about Wil.



As the leader of the club that's made for you and me as opposed to clubs designed for the club leader, there is no double secret password, secret handshake or a bouncer checking his clipboard. Everyone is welcome. Wil is "just a guy... you know." He puts himself out there and whoever wants to participate can. There are no exclusions, provisos or quid pro quo's [Genie, Aladdin]. He just insists "don't be a dick." Dicks exclude themselves because they can't handle the acceptance. We are a club in many ways, family in others. We are bound by something bigger than Wil Wheaton who used to be on ST:TNG. We are bound by a common quality intrinsic to each of our beings: geekhood. Wil is the forum, not the source. He is the springboard and we dive right into the pool. he acknowledges this not so much by statement of fact but almost exclusively by consenting to being a flawed, vulnerable and concerned human being. He is amazingly open with that vulnerability and yet manages to preserve his family's privacy.



Thirdly, Wil Wheaton is just plain cool. He likes what I likes. Maybe its that i likes what he likes. Dunno. But given my incredible shrinking personal realm in the real world and the frightening realization that my brother (my own personal Lore) almost succeeded in getting me to abdicate my Trekkie status, thus subjugating my geek, Wil is home. In all things geek, Wil is encouragement to be what I am because that's what I am best.



Resistance is NOT futile. Difficult and fraught with inner turmoil and nightmares? Yes! Futile? NO! Wil resisted the stereotypes when the world dismissed Wesley Crusher. What, no- who, he's become is the best Wil he can be. By sharing his life he encourages me to be my best within my circumstance and then to always strive to be more. Wil is my travel buddy, keeping me awake behind the wheel even though he is just as tired as I am.