‘Let Me Put You On’ to trivia night
“What state name can fit on one line of a QWERTY keyboard?”
The ladies in the corner laugh at me as I mock-type state names on an invisible keyboard.
Sitting at The Imperial in Decatur, I air-type different states. Years of middle-school keyboarding finally pay off.
My teammate gives me a blank stare — which, I guess, is a sign of trust mixed with confusion.
“Alaska,” I tell him.
This is my weekly ritual. The one appointment I never miss.
Becoming an Atlanta resident has been an interesting — but intentional — life adjustment.
I moved here a year and a half ago from Harlem, and the transition has not been the easiest.
But I always heard an Atlanta transplant gets settled once they discover their “tribe.”
Finding community in Atlanta as a newcomer
As an outgoing introvert, I like to be part of the crowd without participating at 100%.
I love being outside. I always want to know what’s going on. But I also know my limits: People can deplete my social meter.
Parties and bar-hopping aren’t always my thing. Quite frankly, the music tends to be too loud, and I’ve learned that parking in Atlanta is equivalent to competing in an Olympic sport.
For more than a year, my routine looked the same: work, home, try to find something to do, fail, repeat.
Now, every Tuesday night at 8:15 p.m., I’m at The Imperial, a rustic neighborhood bar with uneven wooden boards.
A noisy crowd gathers on the patio in separate teams. A trio of men argue over baseball in the left corner of the front room. A group of college students hunker down on their homework in the back room. A few older women silently sit across from the bar in the right corner. Their regality radiates as if they are matronly elders of the bar.
The Imperial owner, Robert, holds court at the bar. He makes sure to speak to every person as they enter.
Each week, DJ Blaq Mozart sets up shop and prepares the bar for his arsenal of questions.
Where random facts finally matter
“What’s Cap’n Crunch’s first name?” Horatio.
“What’s the name of Joey’s stuffed penguin on ‘Friends’?” Hugsy.
Don’t ask me any sports questions though. It won’t go well.
The game is not a simple question-and-answer session. There’s also a bit of strategy involved. Teams have to bid on their answers and rank them. The most a team can score in a round is 15 points.
Sometimes, debates ensue. If the DJ doesn’t pose a question well and we need clarification — or maybe his answer isn’t the only answer — the bar will erupt in challenging cries.
The top three teams win food-and-drink vouchers of various amounts, and the first-place team gets to take home The Imperial Belt. Like any trophy, The Imperial Belt is a prized possession, but its gaudiness warrants the pride of any wrestling champion.
There’s something satisfying about being rewarded for knowing random facts, especially in a room full of equally curious people.
Why trivia became more than just a game
Outside of the competition, trivia gives me a sense of accomplishment and authenticity. I’m not judged for what I know, and I get to surround myself with like-minded people who enjoy learning. I can bask in my fullness without lessening who I am.
Looking back, I probably shouldn’t be surprised that trivia became my happy place.
I wouldn’t say that I was an annoying kid growing up, but I was definitely the child who’d spew random information to the adults around me.
I wanted to see if they knew what I knew. (Imagine a Brooke version of Hermione from “Harry Potter.”)
During early morning drives to school, my poor mother would have to endure my information tangents.
Before I realized he was an all-around problematic scammer, I’d ask my mom if she knew Christopher Columbus “sailed the ocean blue in 1492.”
Being the supportive and encouraging woman she was, she’d deal with my pestering as if it were new information.
My dad gave me solo spelling bees during road trips. We stopped once he tried to correct me on a word and I told him he was wrong.
In elementary school, I had a great time competing in math and history drills. At home, I played Family Feud on my Super Nintendo.
Trivia has given me the opportunity to showcase my nerd power.
It’s fun, enlightening, and the banter between everyone is hilarious. We get to know one another through a shared love for knowledge.
Now I’m an adult, and I finally get to be 100% myself.
At The Imperial, I’ve developed a sense of community. Everybody knows my name.
Well, at least they know my trivia team name.