The concept of make-believe and the implementation of our imagination in our day to day lives is at its strongest in our youth. For me, I spent countless hours defending my home against zombies, vampires, dragons, witches, mutants, and whatever else came across my Saturday morning television screen.
Here, for example, is an illustration I found that I did a few years back, of myself adorned in the latest and greatest monster fighting attire for that period in my life, taking on infamous fabric softner spokesman, Snuggles the bear. I’m sure many can relate to doing their laundry and then finding a sock missing from the pair you put in. Well that would be Snuggles’ doing.
I’ve left a trail of socks to lure Snuggles, where he and I would inevitably do battle over my mother’s laundry.

Being a monumental nerd, this particular recreational activity lasted well into my early teens, and I can only imagine what my mother must have thought, looking out the kitchen window, into the backyard, watching her youngest cartwheeling across the grass, swinging punches at nothing and launching my best attempts at tornado kicks followed by stabbing the ground with a big wooden spike I’d crafted in our garage.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a big influence on me, and became an obsession throughout my formative high school years. Though I found the idea that all Slayers were girls to be a creative twist, I also found myself disappointed that this meant I would never acquire an ancient call to duty with enhanced strength, prophetic dreams and exceptional fighting skills of my own. I felt there had to be a gay loop hole, for me, as there seemed to be in so many other aspects of life ( the army, donating blood, marriage, etc.) but, of course, in reverse. Any girl has the potential to become “the chosen one”….. and maybe this gay kid too.

But it just goes to show you that teenagers, with all their raging hormones and emotionally driven decisions, don’t necessarily think clearly on everything. Because really (?) what was I thinking wishing that I would be chosen to fight vampires, give up my life and family and friends, in exchange for a short life expectancy with super strength, constant nightmares and insomnia. Pffft. Kids.