I used to believe I was a nerd. I was always made fun of for being a nerd when I was younger, mainly because I wore glasses and spent all my time reading, and so I assumed that those were the basic requirements for nerdiness.
But as with everything else, things get complicated as you get older. It turns out that nerd and geek are much more specialized terms than I thought. Geeks are into programming stuff on computers. I love computers as a tool for sharing gossip and irrational political opinions. So, not a geek. Nerds are expected to be into sci-fi, which is a genre I have never managed to become enthusiastic about. I’m still obsessive about reading, but my preferences are a mixed bag of everything from Victorian novels to 20th century Eastern bloc fiction to pop culture analysis. I’m not sure what that makes me. I guess that the comic book and superhero thing can also put one in the nerd category. I grew up in Poland reading a comic book about a superhero called Orientation Man, who was constantly being chased by an Eskimo with a broken heater, but somehow I don’t think that qualifies.
And I get the feeling that my love of hip-hop automatically cancels my membership in the nerd world.
So what am I? I’m definitely socially awkward enough to be a dork, but there’s so much more to me than my klutziness. I suppose my fanatical interest in politics might mean I’m a wonk, but that word implies connections and influence in Washington D.C. that I just don’t have. A bookworm? A dweeb?
Ah, hell. I’m from Europe. I should have known all along. I’m an intellectual.
01/06/2012 at 9:03 am
nosce te ipsum. ego scio te.
01/06/2012 at 7:33 pm
But not enough of an intellectual to want to deal with quotes in Latin 🙂
01/09/2012 at 4:09 pm
How easy it is for us to adopt a classification in order to “fit in” within the paradigm of our society.
You are neither a Nerd, nor a Geek, my dear. You are a Human Being, like the rest of us – with all our frailties and imperfections, those that come with being human.
In essence, you are the very person that you were meant to be – just as we (you and I and every person reading this now) – are the people that we were meant to be.
(I still think you should write a book…!)
Very warmly,
.W.
01/09/2012 at 6:40 pm
And that, despite all of the above musings and the (possibly tacked-on) conclusion, is what I found out while writing this blog. I used to think I fit into a convenient social classification, but I don’t fit into anything. And I’m very happy with that.
Thank you again for your encouragement re: a novel. I’ve really gotten sucked into the blog writing thing for now and am enjoying it. A blog is such a nice place to vent….
01/13/2012 at 2:37 pm
I’m with destruction here.. forget the labels.. we’re just some meatballs walking around on the ground – doing lots of silly things and making sounds.
And having a good time 🙂
But you do write very well I think, too..! Fun, sensitive, smart langauge – nice vibes and positive attitude. More of that!!
01/13/2012 at 4:03 pm
I concur…
01/13/2012 at 8:26 pm
Wow mac, I have imagined a great many things in my day, but I’ve never yet thought of myself as a meatball. Can I be one of the Ikea ones?
Mac and Destructionist, many thanks to both of you for all the encouragement. I’m really starting to get the hang and enjoyment of this blogging thing 🙂