I often refer to myself as a Geek but according to this handy dandy visual aid, Nerd is probably the more accurate term. I'm an intelligent woman with any number of specialized interests who isn't a tekkie but who can navigate her way around a computer, loooooves shiny new gadgets and is addicted to video games.
In other words, I am a Nerd who lives on the border of Geekdom: I'm a Nerk.
Back in the day, I wasn't so happy about that. I spent almost my entire school career trying to hide from bullies so when I moved to a new city at the end of grade 10, I saw it as an opportunity:
new city + new school = shiny new me.
new city + new school = shiny new me.
I buried my love of all things Scifi and Fantasy in a shallow grave, gave away my comic book collection, left my books in storage, quit drama and band, pretended to be scholastically challenged and immersed myself in "teen social life" i.e. clothes, boys, and parties. I hung out with the cheerleaders and athletes and, I cringe to admit it now, I actually chose to become the human equivalent of cotton candy: bright, pretty and absolutely substanceless.
Initially it was great. I was accepted. I was popular. I was...borrrrred?
Although I had everyone fooled, my personality/popularity reno quickly went off the rails, leaving me almost as miserable as being bullied had. Eventually I couldn't hack it any more. I unpacked my books. I began writing again and I stopped hiding my marks. Then, I sealed my social fate and began spending my time doing what I wanted with people who shared my real interests. Needless to say, it wasn't long before I was asked to turn in my pom poms. Whatever. In the end I found some new better friends who maybe didn't share all of my interests but who were OK with who and what I was: a nerdistic wunderkind.
Although I had everyone fooled, my personality/popularity reno quickly went off the rails, leaving me almost as miserable as being bullied had. Eventually I couldn't hack it any more. I unpacked my books. I began writing again and I stopped hiding my marks. Then, I sealed my social fate and began spending my time doing what I wanted with people who shared my real interests. Needless to say, it wasn't long before I was asked to turn in my pom poms. Whatever. In the end I found some new better friends who maybe didn't share all of my interests but who were OK with who and what I was: a nerdistic wunderkind.
***Fast forward a few years...ok, ok...a LOT of years***
Now, I wear my Nerkiness proudly - it is a badge of honour.
- I make Joss Whedon, LOTR, Red Dwarf and Star Trek references all the time.
- I can list all of the Dr. Who's and their respective companions in my sleep although I'm most likely to do so when bribed with a few drinks.
- I can identify any Star Trek episode from any series (Star Trek, Star Trek NextGen, DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise) no later than 10 seconds into a random clip provided it isn't the intro or credits. (I highly recommend cultivating this skill because it's a great Nerk party trick.)
- My calendar is filled with reminders to PVR new Scifi and Fantasy shows and my social calendar is usually pretty limited on Sundays because of that's Game of Thrones/True Blood/The Walking Dead/Lost Girl/Dr. Who night.
- If it has vampires, werewolves, elves or zombies in it, I'm reading or watching it - guaranteed. If it involves time and/or space travel? Ditto.
- Steampunk is my new catnip. I lurrrrve me some Steampunk.
- I have always, always, always got at least 2 Scifi or Fantasy books on the go and I'm now writing my own.
- I don't fantasize about asking Brad Pitt, Charles Dickens or Abraham Lincoln to pass the salt because my fantasy "who would you invite to dinner" list is populated with Scifi/Fantasy writers and people you would find mobbed by geeks at a Comic-Con convention.
And that, my friends, is the word of the Nerd.
