([Coworker #1] is new to our 40+ provider medical clinic. In my clinic, like most other places, we have people of varying levels of geekery.)

Coworker #1: “Which doctor is [Doctor]?”

Me: “You know… The one that looks like Clark Kent!”

Coworker #2: “Who’s Clark Kent?”

Coworker #3: “She means Superman.”

Me: “No, that would be silly! Superman doesn’t wear glasses!”

([Coworker #2] was lost while [Coworker #3] could only facepalm. [Coworker #1] eventually was able to figure out which doctor they needed based on my description.)

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(Every year on New Year’s Eve, my family has a big sleepover at my grandmother’s house. Cousins, grandchildren, and out-of-state relatives will all travel to partake in this. This year, we have someone new participating as my uncle, who lives next door to my grandmother, just got married and now has a 17-year-old stepson. None of us know him very well; most of us are meeting him for the first time at this sleepover. Pretty much all any of us really know about our new cousin is that he really, really likes Star Wars. He notices that one of my younger cousins, who is equally a big fan of Star Wars, is wearing BB-8 pajamas and starts questioning her about her knowledge.)

Cousin #1: “BB-8, huh? Have you seen any of the older movies or just the new ones?”

Cousin #2: “No, I’ve seen them all.”

Cousin #1: “Have you ever actually seen a movie in theaters?”

Cousin #2: “My dad took me to see a free screening of A New Hope at [Local Discount Theater] once.”

Cousin #1: “Oh? Well, then, what about Clone Wars? Have you ever seen either of the Clone Wars cartoons?”

(He eventually starts quizzing her on very specific moments in Star Wars lore and, to her credit, she can answer most of them pretty well until she gets to one question about the show “The Mandalorian” that stumps her.)

Cousin #2: “I don’t know! I haven’t seen it yet because we don’t have Disney+!”

(By this point, I’m starting to worry that he’s gatekeeping and trying to assess whether or not she’s a “true fan,” and I’m getting ready to intervene and defend her if I have to, until I see him smile and get excited.)

Cousin #1: “Yes! I found something you don’t know! Let me get my Xbox so I can show you!”

(He ended up running next door to his house and grabbing his Xbox so they and a bunch of the other kids could stay up all night watching “The Mandalorian” and other Disney shows on his Disney+ account. The next day, the two of them were gushing about Star Wars and he sent her home with a couple of his favorite novels to read. I think he is going to fit in with our family just fine.)

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It’s worth noting that I have a fairly young face and, although I am 25, I am still a student and tend to hang out at bars frequented by students. I am in a well-known student bar with a group of friends and one of them has brought up the topic of Star Wars. Being quite the nerd, I get into an excited discussion with one of my friends speculating about the new Star Wars movie. While we are talking, a server comes up to take our orders.

My friends go around the table giving their orders. The server doesn’t bother to ID anyone because we are all obviously over 19. The server takes my order and then I dive right back into my discussion on Star Wars.

The server gets about three feet from the table and then stops, turns around, and comes back. She taps me on the shoulder and asks to see my ID. I am a bit bemused, not just because I hardly ever get carded anymore, but because I am pretty obviously the oldest person in the group.

Not wanting to cause trouble, I dig out my driver’s licence and hand it to her. She looks intently at it while I continue my conversation. Then, she hands back my licence and asks me if I have a second piece of ID!

I am having a hard time containing my laughter because the server is probably five years younger than me, at least. But I dutifully pull out my Health Card and show her.

She looks at it, checks that the names match, and gives it back. She grudgingly brings me my drink, but for the rest of the night I keep catching her watching me suspiciously.

I don’t know if she thought I was nervous because of how excitedly I was talking or if she just couldn’t comprehend someone over the age of 18 liking Star Wars. Either way, we all had a good laugh about it and tipped her well for her “diligence.”

I’m attending a Transformers fan convention that’s taking place in a hotel associated with a very famous theme park. Said park has offered convention attendees some extra perks, such as discounts on park passes, but has also issued one rule — we’re forbidden from wearing our costumes in the theme park itself. This strikes quite a few people as an odd rule, as the company that runs the park doesn’t own the Transformers brand (yet), but as far as I know, all attendees comply.

The morning of the convention, before the dealer room opens, several people don their Transformers costumes and go down to the lobby for a photoshoot. The shoot soon progresses from simple pictures to the cosplayers posing in “battle” poses, to some mild play-fighting… until all pretense of a photoshoot is forgotten. Now there are people in Transformers costumes running around the lobby, mock-fighting, dodging behind furniture, and in general, getting really into character. Soon, a group of GI Joe cosplayers shows up, and the “battle” gets even crazier.

In any other hotel, I’m sure these antics would get everyone involved thrown out. But instead, the play-fight attracts a huge crowd, not just of convention-goers, but of regular families staying at the hotel on vacation, who have no idea what’s going on but want to watch anyhow. People are taking pictures and cheering the participants on and having a good time.

I’m watching the proceedings when I hear someone mutter behind me, “Is this some kind of promotion for a new ride or something?” And that’s when I realize that the non-convention-goers think that the fake battle is being staged by paid cast members of the park, not ordinary people who are just here for a convention and not getting paid a dime for putting on a show for park-goers.

The “battle” soon ends, and some of the cosplayers take the time to sign autograph books for the kids before heading to the convention hall. This site is full of negative stories about people being mistaken for employees… but this was a “mistaken-for-employee” situation that turned out to make just about everyone involved happy.

(I’m in my late twenties and at a fast food restaurant with my fiancée. We’re ordering, and I realize that they have Pokémon toys with kids’ meals.)

Me: “I’d like a kids’ meal, please, with the Pokémon toy.”

Cashier: “What kind of kids’ meal?”

Me: “Pokémon!”

Cashier: “What kind of meal?”

Me: “Pokémon?”

Fiancée: “No, do you want a burger or chicken or what?”

Me: “Oh. Cheeseburger.”

(We all had a good laugh about that. Guess I’m just that excited about Pokémon!)