When you think of a geek, what is the first thing that pops into your mind? Pocket protectors? Horn-rimmed glasses? 40 year old virgins living in their parents basements? Incessant quoting of Star Wars, Star Trek and Monty Python movies? Well, I beg to differ.
Despite what shows like “Beauty and the Geek” would like you to believe, not all geeks are mouth-breathing anti-social Brainiacs.
Me? I hold down a steady job. I moved out of my parent’s house when I was 18. I am married, and have children. I bathe regularly. I have never owned a Dr. Who scarf. I can go to parties and mingle with people and not have to rely on quoting lines from Star Wars to start conversations. I am, on the outside, for all intents and purposes, a “normal” person.
Am I ashamed of the geek moniker? I will admit, grudgingly, that I am. Somewhat. At times, I can wear my geek badge with pride. My geek pedigree is long and prestigious. I could, if I felt inclined, take part in all of the above activities I listed without batting an eye. And yet, I do decline to act like a true “geek” in public. I am ashamed to see the antics of some of my brethren, cavorting in public dressed as Stormtroopers or whacking each other with foam swords, throwing packets of sand at each other yelling “Lightning Bolt! Lightning Bolt” over and over. I find myself embarrassed by their actions in public, by their reinforcement of the stereotype. So I always hide my geekery deep within myself, and never mention my comic book collection in mixed company.
But do I mind being called a geek? Paradoxically, no. Especially amongst friends. They know who I am, and what I do, and they don’t begrudge me my occasional yearly visit to WizardWorld. But still, I hide my inner geek until I truly know the person.
And this is why I hid my geek under a bushel basket, so to speak, when GWP and I first started to interact. Until one day…
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GWP NOTE: …and then one day the geek I have grown to love emerged 🙂
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