I Am a Geek

I am a Geek.

It took me a long time to admit that to myself, and even saying it now feels odd. I've had to re-write this post several times, because I just wasn't quite sure how I wanted to word this.

In high school, I would have been embarrassed to call myself a geek. It wouldn't have mattered, because other people were doing it for me. Geek, Nerd, and Weirdo were the proverbial words of choice. 

Today, I am proud to be each one of those things, because here's the thing. We are all Geeks. Every last person on this planet is a geek. This summer my library participated in a campaign that demonstrated this perfectly. Let me show you.

How awesome is this? The campaign featured posters of celebrities and authors sharing what their particular geekdom was, in the phrase of "I Geek ____" and fill in the blank. Which really illustrates my point.

Being a Geek or a Nerd doesn't mean you are obsessed with Comic Books or Video Games. It doesn't mean you play Pokemon or that you can speak Klingon. Being a Geek only means that you are passionate about a particular subject. It means that you could talk for days about that one thing you geek over and still find new things that fascinate you.

I am so proud to be a Geek. Now, as a Mom, I want to encourage my son to be a Geek. That doesn't mean I am going to make sure he is well stocked with comic books or that he can use an X-Box controller by the time he is two. It does mean that I am going to encourage him to pursue his passions. I love superheroes and Star Wars, but if my son Geeks football, I will be out there learning how to throw a spiral pass. I want him to be a Geek in his own right.

To anyone who reads this, I hope you are proud to be a geek. If you aren't, then you should be. The world is full of Geeks and we are all driven and excited over different things for a purpose. So wear your Geek proudly and never let anyone tell you it's a bad thing, because being a Geek is the best. Trust me, I'm a Geek.