Below is an excerpt of an article I wrote for LoveThyNerd. Click the link at the bottom to read the entire piece.
The last 18 months have torn us apart in many ways. At this point, we all know how much the COVID pandemic separated us, forcing us to remain socially distant. On top of that, our nation and our world has been divided over multiple issues. Meanwhile, our souls long for connection. We yearn to be together, especially with those who have similar interests. And as I reunited with my fellow nerds at Fan Expo Denver this year, I found something I had been missing for a while–companionship and camaraderie around a love for nerd culture and fellow humans. We needed this opportunity to mingle, and we needed to hear various nerd celebrities encourage us.
The expo, like other similar events, gave fans of comics, anime, cosplay, gaming, and more a place to connect and hear from actors, authors, and more. Over the weekend, I had the privilege of seeing Mary McDonnell, Edward James Olmos, Felicia Day, Jon Lovitz, Giancarlo Esposito, Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Ray Fisher, Michael Rooker, Zachary Quinto, Rob Paulsen, and Paige O’Hara. And while it was fun to see them in person and hear their many stories, it was also interesting to hear a common mantra from most of them: be present and take care of each other.
Steve Cullum 