Food, Friends, Freedom

You can call me Orc Dad.

I am just an artistic kind of orc, who’s been on this planet for 45 years (as of February 2020), and has gotten tired of mundane life. I’m serious. The quest for money, prestige, and status have all left me feeling hollow inside, and I’ve decided it’s time to break away from all that. So, I’ve turned my hobbies–stained glass, soap-pouring, fantasy cooking, game development–to reinvigorating the magic I felt as a child.

“What’s an orc,” you ask? I guess that depends on where you look for your answer, but since you’re asking me: Orcs are outsiders. Wierdos, outcasts–nerds, dorks, and geeks who grew up to be bigger nerds, dorks, and geeks. We’re monsters living among the pretty, “normal” folk–unable to fit in, but unable to live apart. We’re not always motivated by or interested in the same things as everyone else, but our needs are simple: food, friends, and freedom. Usually, we’re pretty harmless.

Foregoing all the fantasy mumbo-jumbo, I’m a guy who’s married to another great guy, living in a state that would love to make us felons simply for being married to one another. I live with dysthymia and ADHD-PI. As such, it’s easy to feel like the monster in society, but I’ve turned that negativity into drive to bring magic into my life. It energizes me.

Over the years, we’ve connected with wonderful people who also endure orcish loneliness. As much as, and maybe even more than, everybody else, orcs and monsters need a tribe that makes us feel welcome–that sets us free to be ourselves. We endeavor, through art, music, crafts, and creativity, to reach out and help them grow their magical lives as well.

Forging a magical life out of the scraps tossed out way by this money-drunk world proves challenging. Were I rich, it would be easy to simply buy whatever life I want, but I’m anything but. I lost my job just as the pandemic ramped up to nearly Hollywood proportions, and have been fighting depression ever since, to get my feet back under me. Fortunately, we’ve learned how to be frugal in this house.

We’re teaching ourselves how to hammer magic into every aspect of our lives. We’re pragmatic, but determined. We’re going to make this work out, and we’re going to thrive in these dark days. Interested in coming along?