I live with my heart on my sleeve: I am a geek. My closet is full of T-shirts from things I enjoy; my walls are covered in paintings instead of family photos; my desk is littered with sci-fi and video game toys; my collection of video games is taller than a few basketball players standing on each others’ shoulders. My geekiness makes me a happier person, because I embrace who I am. These things bring back good memories to a healthy lifetime of geekdom. I am unabashedly happy in my own skin.
I work for a major website and meet a ton of different people from all walks of life. I’m pretty out there with my nerdy heritage, so a lot of colleagues will come up and offer the same support they’d have given a gay acquaintance 15 years ago. “I think it’s great that you don’t care what people think,” they’ll say, as if being a dork is really a social stigma. “Hey,” they’ll lean in to whisper, “I even own a Star Wars shirt.” Wow. What a revelation.
I often ask these people why they are fans of the things they like, be it Doctor Who or Joss Whedon or Super Mario Bros. The response is always the same, at its root. “Because they make me happy,” they’ll admit. Bingo.
The most important lesson I have learned in life is that you shouldn’t feel bad or ashamed for the things you like. More importantly than that, never surround yourself with people who will make you feel bad or ashamed of the things you like. Be confident in your geeky side. Wear it with pride. This will weed out the people who will judge you for who you truly are (because who wants to be friends with shallow people, anyway?) and thus save your time by eliminating the people who won’t love and appreciate the REAL you.
Be confident in the things you love, as well. The main reason these same people hide the things they’re nerdy about is that they fear rejection. Be steadfast and vigilant in front of judgmental eyes. Confidence is infectious, empowering, and attractive. You’ll reel in worthy friends and lovers by being confident in the things that make you happy.
Wear that Firefly shirt proudly and display those Ghostbusters toys, nerds. I love ya for who you are. Now, what are YOU geeky about?