Unsolicited Opinions

Apparently, it's no longer a crime to be a nerd. This article indicates that we're living in a geek golden age. No longer will I have to hang my head in shame because I like Star Trek, Transformers, comic books, and video games! No more do I have to hide my science and math journals that I read for pleasure behind a TV Guide or Sports Illustrated! I am free to be geeky as I wanna be, and I'll get respect for it!

... Oh, wait a minute, I never cared if other people thought I was weird for liking that stuff anyway. I guess this doesn't change much, except now my wife suddenly wants to be a geek too, whereas she used to (and still does) laugh at my geeky ways. We both took the True Geek Test and of course I passed while she ... didn't. She was a little disappointed until I reminded her that she really didn't want to be a geek anyway. She has no interest in Sci-fi, Dungeons and Dragons, or video games, so why bother? I love her just the way she is, even if she isn't a geek. It doesn't hurt that she's drop-dead gorgeous either ;)

One of the major positive things that I think defines a self-proclaimed "geek" is not being afraid to enjoy the things that interest you, regardless of whether or not they're popular. Sure, I like the traditional "geeky" hobbies, but I also like American football (Go Eagles and Steelers!!), musical theater, Law & Order, and romantic comedies. I think if everyone considered themselves a "geek" in this sense, people would be a lot happier, because they would have accepted themselves as they are, and not feel self-conscious about fitting in with the crowd.

Of course, there are lots of negative traits associated with geeks as well, such as the tendency to become an ossessive fanboy/girl of your hobbies and harrassing the people who create your favorite toy/game/book/TV show/movie to the point of being slapped with a restraining order. Also, being socially inept doesn't help you relate well to other members of the human race who aren't into the same things as you are.

However, I think geeks, like everybody else, can realize that they're not perfect and work towards improving these negative traits while retaining the high self esteem and confidence that comes with accepting who you are. At least, that's what I'm trying to do. To all you geeks out there, carry on!

Labels: geeks