Like many, many people in this world I ride a unicycle. I can also solve a Rubik’s cube. I only wear button down shirts and I spend all my time on the computer. I know a programming language. I get excited about learning, especially math. I guess that means I belong to the rare sect known as the geek.
I’m okay with my entrance into geekdom. I’ve come to an acceptance of my geeky status. I try to embrace it, as we all should. As time goes on, so does my geekiness. It grows exponentially until I am going to the computer store with my pocket protector and 21st century slide-rule. As I progress deeper into the vortex of my geekiness, perhaps society will too. If everyone around me is wearing a pocket protector I won’t stand out, but I find that hard to believe. If time progresses and converts geekiness into normal, then I’m sure I will find some other way to stoop to even more geekiness. Everything is relative. What is geeky anyways?
From my observations, it seems that if you do anything greatly involving computers, for fun, than you are officially branded a geek. There is no way to escape it. Once you have been labeled, you ARE labeled. The little icon above your head now says geek. Wait; maybe I have been playing computer games too long. That is just another aspect that contributes to my geekiness. It is a life long view of you amongst people you already know. If you come across people who you don’t know, you could try and avoid it, but if you have been called geek once, or even viewed as a geek once, chances are you will be labeled again.
Not only can you be labeled geek by your appearance or actions, but by association too. If all of your friends are geeks then you will be viewed as one too. Chances are they are all geeks because if you truly are a geek then no one other geeks would really want to hang out with you (Although there have been known to be a few strayers). This is the logic that that the NON-geeks probably use. I wouldn’t know because I have never been one. Does it really matter anyway? If you have come to the realization and acceptance of your geekiness wouldn’t you want geeky friends, butonly the spiffy ones? Right?
What bothers me is that all the noobs and muggles use geek as some sort of insult. They seem to think that it will somehow hurt our feelings. Maybe, they think if they call us geeks they will somehow compensate for their uncoolness. What is cool anyway? Cool is relative and I think that the vast majority of non-geeks are not as cool as geeks. All of the “geeks” that I have ever met have enjoyed being a geek. They have chosen it as a label, accept it, and are okay with what they will be called. They have chosen to be cool. OH YA.
I love that you take such pride in your geekiness. You also find some nice geek-related terms like geekiness and geekdom. What about “geekology”, “geekarific”, or “degeekification–a painful process involving prolonged separation from gadgetry, advancement of knowledge, and nosebleeds in public places “?