What I Want

I recently had someone ask me what I wanted from life, and I found myself thinking of a quote from Robert A. Heinlein's rather dated novel Glory Road.  While fantastic, and true to an extent, that quote is no longer as relevant to Geek Culture as it once was.

This isn't complete, of course, but I think of it as... a good representative sampling.

(Oh.  There's one piece of "Geek Lit" that many may think I forgot about.  They're wrong.  I just really don't care for it any more, though I acknowledge that the Lord of the Rings did a lot towards bringing fantasy and science-fiction to the attention of the general public.)

What do I want?

I want to look out my window at three in the morning, and see the Bat-signal shining over the city.

I want to hear some tourist shout, "Look!  Up in the sky," and look up as a red-and-blue streak passes overhead.

I want to pass an old-fashioned British police box standing beside a country road, and have someone give a shout as I slow and stare, ask me if I want to see the universe.

I want to hear Diana of Themiscyra talking to a bunch of school aged girls, telling them that they’re already wonders, and to have Power Girl call agreement from the sky as she passes over.

I want to look up as the Waverider passes overhead, then get buffeted about by the wind of the Flash passing by on the ground.  I want to see Supergirl pass by, following the Waverider, and call down an apology for the disturbance as she passes over, then shout at me to "look out" as Green Arrow tears past on his motorcycle-- and apologize again.

I want to follow Joan and Sherlock around New York, just to see if my brain can keep up with theirs.

I want to follow the Slayer into a dark, scary tunnel, and hope like hell that I can actually be of use in watching her back.

I want to have a payphone start ringing as I pass it, to answer it and get another in the endless stream of numbers, and try to find out if the person the number represents is in trouble or the cause of trouble.

I want to look up to the skies over Chicago and see Astra fly over, with Grendel dangling from one wrist, and Megaton blasting along beside them.

I want to hear Captain America shout "Avengers— ASSEMBLE,” and watch as the heroes gather to stand between ordinary people and whatever the threat to them may be.

I want to know that Tony Stark is involved with NASA, Bruce Banner with him.

I want to hear that Matt Murdock is going to work for the ACLU, and grin in anticipation of how Daredevil will "happen to” the people that group opposes, if they try to play dirty.

I want to see Spider-man swinging by overhead, and hear him muttering about how he just can't be late again, especially not on a test day.

I want to learn the Patronus Charm from Harry Potter, while Hermione corrects my pronunciation and Ron shouts encouragement.

I want Harry Dresden to hand me a Warden’s cloak (while Bob the Skull makes some, awful, snarky joke in the background).

I want to follow Prince Corwin of Amber into whatever realm he created while trying to save Amber from Chaos.

I want to attend Starfleet Academy, to hear Sarek lecture on "Diplomacy Between Sentient Species," and take the Kobayashi Maru test.

 

I want to join the Rebellion, and find out if Rey can teach me to be a jedi.  If not, I want to at least be an X-wing pilot.

 

I want to world I live in to be a place like the worlds I read about, instead of the place that I’m so in need of escaping from.