a rush and a push

ByWil

A friend of mine called me yesterday, worried, because I haven’t updated my blog in almost a week.
“Well, I’m glad you waited a whole week to call me,” I said, “because if I were dead, I’d be getting pretty stinky right now.”
“That makes no sense at all,” he said.
“I don’t have to make sense!”I said, “I’m beautiful, Lois!”
“Well, you’re still able to quote Family Guy,” he said, “so I’m going to assume you’re just busy.”
And he was right. I’ve been too busy to sit down and write about anything . . . and most of what’s going on in my life right now is either: a) too personal to blog about b) Totally Top Secret And I Can’t Talk About It or c) it’s so goddamned boring, it’s not worth the effort to talk about how boring it is.
One of the very few things that I can talk about that doesn’t fit the above criteria is Mac World!
The press release already went out, so I didn’t get a chance to scoop it, but the Really Big News is that I’ve been invited to speak at MacWorld in San Francisco in January.
I have been a Mac user since the very early days of the Mac 128. I wrote my first stories on that machine, and I still have the printouts from the dot-matrix printer I used way back then. I’ve been to several MacWorld expos, and I can’t believe that I actually get to be a part of the show.
Until now, the largest audience I’ve ever addressed was close to five thousand people at the Royal Albert Hall in London, but the audience I will at MacWorld will probably be the largest I’ve ever been in front of in my life. I hear that they’re expecting somewhere between five and six thousand people in the room, plus I think there will be some sort of simulcast online (and I’ll release my presentation under Creative Commons again,) so I could theoretically reach ten thousand people. I’m used to addressing an average crowd of about 150 people, and I get a little anxious when the crowd approaches 500 . . . but thousands?
Eep.
I should feel too nervous to even move . . . but my nerves are totally overwhelmed by excitement, because I didn’t get this invitation because I Used To Be Wesley On Star Trek, or anything like that. I got this invitation to speak because one of the MacWorld organizers saw me perform Just A Geek at Gnomedex!! It feels like I earned the opportunity, and I’m going to give the performance of my life when I’m there.
Remember when I wrote that I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be in my life right now? How I’m content, but not complacent? It’s because of things like this. I don’t feel like I need to run away from the stuff I used to do (or the person I used to be) anymore. I feel like I spent the first thirty years of my life building this complicated foundation, and now I’m living in a wonderful house atop it.
I’m off to prepare my presentation for ApacheCon on Monday in Las Vegas. Have a great weekend, everyone.

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95 Comments

  1. My God! If I had to speak to that many people, I’d barf all over the front row!!!
    That’s a pleasant thought!
    😉
    Well, you don’t have to worry about it, Wil, You’re so easy and friendly that people will love you immediately!
    Good luck!
    Scott

  2. My God! If I had to speak to that many people, I’d barf all over the front row!!!
    That’s a pleasant thought!
    😉
    Well, you don’t have to worry about it, Wil, You’re so easy and friendly that people will love you immediately!
    Good luck!
    Scott

  3. Wow wil, what an honor. Dude you earned it, how’s the view from atop of that foundation? I wont be there this year I’m in Japan till Jan 2005 . Have a good time!
    Lynx

  4. Nice to know your still with us Wil.
    The Royal Albert Hall eh? Was that when you were on TNG?
    I think I remember seeing you on a Saturday morning kids TV show in the UK sometime around 1990 called Going Live. Remember that?
    I hadn’t seen any Next Generation then but I was already a big fan of Stand By Me.
    Take it easy W.
    P.S. Looking forward to the audio book.

  5. *claps and cheers fill the…uh…room (pretend with me) as Wil Wheaton, blogger extraonaire takes the stage…panties and…BOXERS? litter the stage as the cheers grow to deafening level* See, it will be great! Help the nerves any? Love the Family Guy quote and you did make sense…a little…er, be glad you’re beautiful, Wil.

  6. My God! If I had to speak to that many people, I’d barf all over the front row!!!
    That’s a pleasant thought!
    😉
    Well, you don’t have to worry about it, Wil, You’re so easy and friendly that people will love you immediately!
    Good luck!
    Scott

  7. My God! If I had to speak to that many people, I’d barf all over the front row!!!
    That’s a pleasant thought!
    😉
    Well, you don’t have to worry about it, Wil, You’re so easy and friendly that people will love you immediately!
    Good luck!
    Scott

  8. My God! If I had to speak to that many people, I’d barf all over the front row!!!
    That’s a pleasant thought!
    😉
    Well, you don’t have to worry about it, Wil, You’re so easy and friendly that people will love you immediately!
    Good luck!
    Scott

  10. Ahh! I’m jealous! I’ve always wanted to go to Macworld, let alone be invited to speak! Good on you!
    (Sorry so exclamatory – just excited!)

  11. Here’s to hoping a)is wonderful/great
    b)is also wonderful/great and soon to be unclassified 😉 and c) well we all have c
    Break a leg at ApacheCon!
    And cograts on the MacWorld speach. 🙂

  12. 01/13/2005, 09:30 AM – 10:30 AM
    THIS SUCKS!!!!!! The one time your gonna come perform near me and I have to be at SFO to catch a flight at that same time *pouts and stomps foot throwing a tantrum*
    hmmm, Hey Wil, you gonna be driving up? LOL you’ll need to stop in Salinas (Monterey area – right on Hwy 101) and give us our own reading of Just a Geek !!!! LOL

  14. Hey, great news! I work at the Borders in Union Square, just up the street from the MacWorld convention. Come by and sign your books and say hello! Just ask for the stacey who’s obsessed with Bollywood, and my co-workers will know exactly who you mean. (there’s more than one stacey at the store) We usually get free passes to MacWorld, but I think it’s only the display part, not the program part. Still, I’ll do my best to come and be part of the multitude…
    Hey, I don’t suppose you’d like to do a real event at my Borders? That would be so neato!

  15. This is for the politics department. If you’re still disturbed by the results of our recent elections (even if you’re not), please go look at blackboxvoting.org, and then continue clicking through the internet to see what people are trying to do to investigate the many voting irregularites that have been reported. The word needs to spread and people need to be made aware of what’s going on that the news isn’t reporting or telling people about. Thank you so much!

  17. Now that our lab finally upgraded the Macs to OSX, they arent so bad anymore. Used to have major compatability issues with everything else. But we upgraded, and everyones happy.
    Congrats and good luck on the upcoming MacWorld gig. You’ll do great

  19. Your audience won’t be captive so that means they are sitting there to see you ‘coz they want to. Congrats Wil and I hope you enjoy every minute.
    Cheers
    Paul S

  20. Wil:
    Congrats on the Mac show. I’ve been in front of thousands, and I can offer ya what works for me:
    Pick out three people you can see in various areas of the audience (Right, Center, Left). If you can, pick them from different levels of the auditorium so that your head and eyes are not only moving left to right, but up and down as well. The audience will definitely respond to your obvious willingness to “connect” and will love you more, regardless of what you say. If you say something eternally memorable, even better. But usually, that don’t happen. The audience will remember the entirety of the experience, and not just one moment.
    The only criticism I have of your post is when you say that you finally feel as though you “earned” the recognition. I guess when I read it I got a feeling you really meant it.
    You earned your reputation portraying Wesley’s character, too, ya know. And that isn’t such a bad thing. Although you may wish to be known these days in a different realm, please never forget the work and sacrifice that you expended to make that wonderful young man a treasure to us all. There’s so much of you in him, he deserves his rightful place too.
    Good luck in Vegas. Let me know how it goes.
    Live yer bliss!
    Bud

  21. I’m glad you feel you deserve your fame this time. 🙂 It’s good when we can be happy with what life brings us. 🙂

  22. Wil,
    In the business you are in I can understand why you just can’t share everything. You know what they say about loose lips.
    I know your mac thing will go fine. It seems that all of your presentations do.
    FG

  24. I know what that’s like to not post a blog entry for one of those three reasons. Those are the only reasons I miss entries in my own blog. Glad I’m not the only one! *lol*

  25. Awesome!!! speaking at Macworld. You are well on your way to being more than the Star Trek , dude ( which you already are)
    As always enjoy reading your blog.
    Kevin

  26. You mean you haven’t been in hiding because the internet is abuzz with talk of what’s going on at G4 (you know, where TechTV went to die…)
    Well, ok. Maybe not ALL abuzz. Just some noisy chatter.

  27. Wow major flash back reading this entry…
    I was one of those 5000 people sat in the Royal Albert Hall all those years ago. Between you and Avery Brooks singing I had a brilliant time!
    Anyway good luck with all your projects and I hope you don’t get too nervous thinking about all those people listening to you…its just the recognition you deserve for all you’ve accomplished in your life!!
    Alexandra, UK

  28. A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours!!!
    Will, love the Smiths references!!!
    Did you see Morrissey on his current Tour???

  29. Hello there!
    Glad to hear that not only do you feel like you’re where you want to be in life (a rare thing, IMHO) but that you’re going to have the opportunity to present/perform at MacWorld.
    Best of luck, I’m sure you’ll do fine! 🙂

  30. I hate to change the subject, but we all know that someone does it occasionally (and it’s already happened in these comments). Colin Powell is resigning from the cabinet. I know that most of us disapprove of President Bush, but I thought I might be able to handle the next four years as long as someone sensible is in the Cabinet. As far as I can tell, Colin Powell is it, and he’s leaving. We are so screwed…

  31. i once had to sing the national anthem at a soccer game in front of 17,500-ish people. i didn’t throw up until well after i was off the field. you’ll be fine, wil. 🙂

  33. best of luck, Wil. I enjoy reading your work these days, and I agree with you on your point that you’ve earned this whole bit as more than just a used-to-be. Your writing here, day-to-dayy, is interesting ’cause it’s real life, not Hollywood Hogwash (you quote FG, I can quote Simpsons). Best of luck.

  34. Nice talk at ApacheCon today! Very interesting and entertaining. Are you planning to play any poker while in Vegas? I’ve been itching to get to the tables, but have to wait until the conference is over. Hope to see you across the felt.

  35. Congrats!!! By the way, I have to say you are looking FINE these days. Way better than the “Wesley” days would have led me to believe.

  36. Trolls pretending to be Wil are totally uncool. I tend to believe that most of Wil’s fans are smarter than the average bear, so I don’t think anyone is going to believe the post by “Wil Wheaton” up there was real. I felt I had to say something about it anyway, especially since Wil probably doesn’t want to spend his days policing his blog. Anyway, please note that when the real Wil Wheaton posts here, it’s always under the name “wil”

  37. Wow! That is so freaking awesome! In the immortal words of Strong Bad, “Holy Crap!” Congrats and good luck. I know you’ll kick ass…er…speak well…lol
    And good for you on being content with your life as it is. I know reaching that place in your life can be hard and some of us never do, so relish it! =-)

  38. With regards to the above: OoooooooooooK…
    Another week with no posts. Hmmm. Methinks Wil be a busy guy. Hopefully it’s the good kind of busy.
    /goes back to checking the RSS at least twice a day

  39. You know, whoever this person is that keeps acting like Wil…i feel really sorry for them. Think about it, most of us that come here are here because we appreciate Wil’s work (acting or writing)or maybe we never knew who he was and simply appreciate him as another average joe who keeps a pretty amusing, smart, and fun blog. This person is here for different reason….simply becuase they have nothing better to do with their pathetic life. You know even if Wil was a washed-up has been who only laments over his past, that person pretending to be him would still be more pathetic.
    ps. Hes probably sitting at his computer right now (because he never parts from his baby), with a space suit on that has a “shut up wesley” button pinned proudly to his chest. (sorry, i couldnt resist pointing out the obvious…you were thinking it too!)

  40. How did I know you would be back? And, yes i do apologize to Wil, but not for what you said.
    I want to apologize for continuing this and giving you exactly what you wanted. Oh well, have your fun…i have other responsibilities.

  41. Kudos on the speaking opportunity. Planning to speak about the exploding motherboard on that Mac? Sure, it’s got the reliability record of a 12 cylinder Jaguar with a missing timing belt, but at least it’s not from Microsoft.
    🙂 Have fun in Vegas! Watch out for the river.
    eric

  42. You know what they say: Once you go Mac you never go back! 🙂
    I’m a Mac addict as well, and I live too far away to ever make it to the Mac expos without a lot of planning. I’m super jealous. You’ll have to tell us all about the fancy new products we can expect. *wipes drool*

  43. I deleted and IP-banned the genius who thought he could get away with impersonating me while I was AFK.
    Incidentally, the offending comments came from 64.107.1.239.
    Have a nice day.

  44. Welcome Home, Wil Wheaton!!
    Nice to hear the apache.con went well, but a question:
    Which Hotel did they raze this time? Isn’t it just wilder’n snot now that they’ve gone jumped across the highway? Man, that town will double in size in like 10 years! It’s gettin too busy for me there. I’m about ready to declare Laughlin home, whatcha think?

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