For me, the sense of loneliness during high school was intense, and my main solace was a large swamp a ten-minute bike ride from our house. Any marsh or wetland is a magical place, filled with mystery and an incredible variety of plant and animal life. I was an animal guy, and insects were my fascination. Anyone chancing to spot me in that swamp would have had confirmation of my nerdiness-wading in fully clothed, my eyes at water level peering beneath the surface, and my hands laden with a net and jar. But I couldn't spend all my time in that swamp. I spent most of my waking hours daydreaming, creating a fantastic world in which I was endowed with superhuman athletic and intellectual powers that would enable me to bring peace to the world and win mobs of gorgeous women begging to be my girl.