It’s already the second decade of the new millennium, eleven years after 2001, two years after 2010, and forty nine years out from 2061. These years are important from a geek standpoint, as they are the years in Arthur Clarke’s series of novels painting a picture of that space future we all imagined when we taped glow in the dark stars to our bedroom ceilings. It’s kind of sad to me that 2001 and 2010 have come and gone and we haven’t realized many of the aspirations that one of the greatest science fiction writers thought feasible. I guess progress isn’t as easily conceived and implemented. No worries though, we are making science fiction more realistic and less fiction every day! I never would have thought I would have a touch screen phone space phone. Remember when the touch screens at the museum were the coolest when you were little? And now most of us carry a better one around in our pocket.
I geek out on the Star Wars. Yes, there are many other things I enjoy, like organic chemistry, micronutrient metabolism, and comic books, but Star Wars has been my one true geeking love for a long time. It all started in first grade when the obviously underfunded Catholic school I went to only had used, taped up books. However, the Return of the Jedi picture book caught my eye, and I would park it on a beanbag to read it over and over. My voracious appetite for Star Wars continues to this day, much to the dismay of my conservative mother, who is holding out that it’s still a phase. I guess a 25 year old who is not into the traditional timeline of what you are “supposed” to do wasn’t what she had planned for a daughter; that and the whole “No, I’m a woman of science” discussion. Being labeled a geek was never a good thing for me, I didn’t have lots of friends, I got beaten up and teased, but it never really mattered once I rode my bike down to the library. I used to get lost in far away worlds or get wrapped up in learning about the inner workings of our own. Yes, I did want to be pretty and not have a weird haircut, glasses, and a frightening lack of hand eye coordination but all of those pressures really slipped away once I walked into the Lake County Public Library. Reading, to me, made everything seem okay, like these characters assured me that one day I would be really happy.
I never would have guessed that ‘geek chic’ would ever be IN or HIP. It wasn’t hip to get picked on all throughout school for wishing that YOU TOO had a cheeky astromech droid. And frankly, some of us geeks have gotten frustrated. There have been lots of attractive women since the boom of microblogging and social media to claim geek. Being an attractive woman doesn’t automatically mean you’re pandering, but frankly lots of people pander for any multitude of “in” things, I guess I never expected that the stuff I got made fun of for would ever be so popular. Claiming geek is thin ice to walk on, but then again, it’s like giving yourself your own nickname, just never cool to do. One of my friends put this conundrum into perspective, ‘If a geek woman says anything about a panderer, it means that they are jealous of the notoriety the panderer is getting, right? Wrong. We don’t appreciate someone using OUR culture, and being put on a pedestal for not being true to themselves. I shouldn’t have to be glad that they are there.’
With the internet playing such a large role in everyone’s (ADMIT IT) lives, it’s pretty easy to expose yourself to this stuff. My advice is to keep being yourself. People can tell when you are honest, and that makes people interested in what you have to say. It’s not about getting fake glasses. It’s not about who has the coolest merch, or who can correct a movie misquote faster than a speeding bullet. Being genuine is the greatest asset you can bring to the table, true for geeking out and true for all aspects of life. Networking with other geeks proves to unleash creativity in all involved. I am inspired by people who are so passionate about writing, research, or art. I love how Twitter has brought this community together, and news is shared every second about movies, games, books, etc.
The advent of geek popularity has broken many stereotypes. The guys aren’t the Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons, and the girls aren’t Velma from Scooby Doo. Geeks are hot, geeks are wanted, and the broad spectrum of geek makes for the most interesting conversations you could ever hope for. I think that the tremendadorks I know are the most talented and interesting people in the world. They know how to network, they know how to express themselves, and they know how to party. I guess we should embrace the fact that someone will say “Wow, you like that? How cool!” about something that had previously relegated to the blanket fort you made in the basement of your parent’s house.
Be true to your inner geek. Enjoy what makes you happy, no matter how ridiculous of a costume you’ll end up making for Comic Con. Perhaps by 2061 science will have caught up with the most creative aspect of the universe, the geek mind.
-Kimmi Markovich is a professional grammar hammerer who once got kicked out of a Chinese food restaurant for giving them the menu back with edits. She likes gin drinks. Check out her tumbles at http://kimmi-page.tumblr.com
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