You know, I get "picked on" here daily by my peers and my NCOs (I'm deployed in what would almost seem like an office enviorment), so I see my NCOs each day, and we are on a very friendly basis.
They all know I make movie Costumes and Props. Some of them like to really push the envelope, while others poke fun at me because they themselves are big nerds at heart.
The ones that push the envelope, things like that are very new to them, and something new to people who live in a world of constants and similarity, something new is usually something not really all that welcomed.
They find it weird, that I would travel to a different state just to "wear a costume" when I could do that on Halloween instead. They don't understand the fellowship with my friends. I have many close friends that I have made on this message boards over the years, and it isn't anything out of the ordinary that I would fly out to where ever they live to hang out for a few days.
Here is a good example of the latest encounter I had with one of my not so open minded NCOs.
I was discussing Dragon*Con (because at this time in the week, Dragon*Con was taking place in Atlanta, and I unfortunately had to miss it) with a few of my friends, and they are interested in going to it. My NCO then called them derogatory names that have to deal with their orientation towards genders, and said that "you guys don't even know anything about Star Trek, so why would you even go?!?!"
He doesn't realize that at cons, especially, at DCon, we hang out with our friends, get crazy, and rarely even discuss the charactures or costumes concerned with the tv/movie we are dressed as. Just like he likes to go hunt with his buddies to get away from work and the stresses from everyday living, we do the same, just we do it with a 6 pack and a Boba Fett costume.
Just make sure you are able to pick fun at yourself, if you don't you will just start resenting people. People don't understand sometimes, and probably never will.
But then just explain what LARPrs are, and tell them they need to join you for a summoning one night, and then they probably just wont even talk to you anymore!
