Badges? We don't need no steenkin BADGES!

So, I've come to the realization that I am a badge hound.
No really, I JUST came to it. I would joke about it, but seriously...

I think it started with Bolt, or that's earlier incarnation of it on a mass scale that I can recall. It reminds me of collecting stickers, but they're pixels and you did odd free things to achieve them. There were tons of people on it, guides on how to get em, and people willing to cheat and pay real world money for them. I had a lot, and when it seemed to be a failing empire I tried to save each pixelated badge to host up at my webpage, so I wouldn't lose them.

I've done it a variety of other places on smaller scales, and usually given up.

I collect patches from places we hike, camp, visit... Pins when they don't have patches (how does DisneyWorld not have a patch?) I even wanted to make a digital map so I could 'pin' the places I visited, and mark cool graveyards etc.

I was tempted to become the oldest gd girl scout in order to earn those badges. I was a girl scout for three weeks. We ate cookies, hung out in a daycare, and swung on the swings. We moved, and it just didn't interest me to seek out another troop. Day care is boring, I wanted to tie knots and climb trees.

I got Gowalla for my phone so I could easily check in along my route to see my grandparents one looong lonely drive. It's kinda neat, but doesn't have a lot of locations near me that aren't fast food. Each little check in awarded me a badge and a prize. I found FourSquare... badges. More badges. I caught myself 'checking in' at college in BOTH applications! Here's a kicker... I don't particularly like being tracked, or bad people knowing where I am all the time. Dad taught me to value anonymity and invisiblity. (Well, much as I can when I like to wear cat-ears.) Yet I'm posting WHERE I AM to anyone and everyone. Squidgy.....

How to reconcile some strange need for badges, patches, 'achievements', pins, stickers, etc, without being (any more) foolish? I dream of living simply... how do you do that and 'collect'? Is there a cure? Can I complete a 12 Step Program?  ...Will they issue me a pin or coin or certificate? >.>

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