Monday, April 8, 2013

The Word of the Nerd





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.

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.

  ***Fast forward a few years...ok, ok...a LOT of years***

Now, I wear my Nerkiness proudly - it is a badge of honour.  
  1. I make Joss Whedon, LOTR, Red Dwarf and Star Trek references all the time.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.)
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Steampunk is my new catnip. I lurrrrve me some Steampunk.
  7. I have always, always, always got at least 2 Scifi or Fantasy books on the go and I'm now writing my own.
  8. 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. 
I know who and what I am and I'm comfortable in my own skin. Hell, I love being a Nerk and I think everyone should aspire to embrace their inner nerd, dork, dweeb or geek because it really is extremely liberating.








And that, my friends, is the word of the Nerd.

6 comments:



  1. I'll try again. (Hit the right button stupid, he said to himself). I'm a virginal blog responder so I may be sticking my size 10 1/2 d's in the wrong place. Could you not also be called a Gerd?
    Geeks....eeeeeeh, I'm not sure of the sense of the slur but Nerds I perceive as intellectually curious people, somewhat uncaring of the norms of their generation and therefore not 'on autopilot' in this world. Eventually they will have an effect; either themselves or those they inspire be they friends or progeny.





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  2. Gerd could apply, Pops, but since it sounds like "gird" I went with "nerk" instead. I didn't want to confuse all the nice Muggles with a homonym.

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  3. i love the red dwarf part, i adore the show, and thats some talent identifying the episodes, i only watch voyager and was lucky enough to meet the doctor, as well as all red dwarf main cast and some from game of thrones and now have a slightly unhealthy obsession with billy boyd

    as to your scifi novel, do you plan on publishing as i am looking for new stuff to read

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  4. Hey Charmz:

    I almost got down to the US a few years ago to meet the Red Dwarf cast but there was a transportation SNAFU and I missed the event. >.<

    I have to say, we seem to share a lot of the same slightly unhealthy obsessions. Are you a nerk too?

    My novel is actually a modern urban fantasy, not scifi. Right now I'm in the home stretch on but I suspect editing is going to be a slog. I haven't decided yet whether to go the trad publishing route or indie but I will publish either way. I can keep you in the loop if you're interested.

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  5. I used to put myself to sleep by mentally reciting all the titles xeof the original Star Trek series. Although I can't do that anymore, as I've had to write over that information, I still love scifi. And now write my own. Great to meet you. :-)

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  6. What an awesome post. And what an awesome blog. Yes being a nerd dork or anything isn't anything to be ashamed. Everyone has their idiosyncrasies. Fantabulous. Looking forward 2 ur book. Godspeed...

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