Meerkat Prompts: Proud to be Geeky
My journey through life has seen me take a hearty interest in that which is often defined as geeky. Science fiction, fantasy, trains, technology, science, these are field that scream nerd. I dare say my overall appearance fits this rather well, and at one stage, I rather resented the label. After all, people wield terms like nerd and geek as insults. They certainly did when I was at school. The desire was to suggest that I was socially awkward, which I guess I was, but then again, what does that actually mean? I wasn’t massively into playing sports, and preferred video games, but I still went to the cinema with friends, and I still kicked a ball around from time to time. My friends and I would hang out at each other’s houses, and have a laugh. I’d call that sociable.
I guess I wasn’t the right kind of sociable in the eyes of the masses. Sci-fi, gaming, cosplay, all that jazz, it wasn’t trendy back then. I didn’t especially belong with the ‘jock’ crowd, and I wasn’t a cool kid. Mind you, whilst UK schools certainly had a tribal element, it has never been as bad as has been portrayed about US schools in the media. That didn’t make it fun for me.
As I’ve grown up, I’ve come to embrace who I am, and a big part of who I am is a geek. I no longer care for the petty insults and meaningless opinions of random strangers, whose judgement is pointless. I am a geek, and I am proud of my interests. I am proud to go to conventions in costume (even if it can be a laborious effort to do so). I will wear Star Trek and Star Wars t-shirts out in public, as I will video game t-shirts. What’s nice is that society is not quite so judgemental in that respect, and I can be more comfortable in my own skin. Indeed, I literally wear my geekdom on my skin, via my tattoos.
Society can apply a lot of pressure to conform. Being a geek means resisting that pressure. Embracing that which is seen as awkward and uncool is an act of defiance in its own small way, and one I gladly partake in. I am certain there are those who might judge me for what I enjoy, but that is rather sad on their part. Those who need to spoil other’s joy to feel happier about their own circumstances must have very little love in their hearts, and in their lives. I am fortunate to have a lot to love, and I am lucky to be able to share that with my wife and family.
The bottom line? Be who you are. Be your authentic self, and don’t let negative types drag you down. Why yuck someone else’s yum? What purpose does that serve? If you love sci-fi, don’t be afraid to show it. Likewise for video games, superhero movies, k-pop, trains, and whatever else is defined as uncool by some arbitrary system.
I am a geek, and I am proud of it!
I, too am a geek … a WOKE geek, nonetheless … and proud of it! As Popeye famously said, “I yam who I yam …”
Hey, woke is good, and certainly a good reason to be a geek!