Geeking out over being a nerd
Celebrate who you are - odd quirks and individual proclivities included
Thanks for reading another one of my Friday stories. Be sure and check out my new material on YouTube as well. New content daily! I appreciate you. ~JRC
Approx. 600 words; four minutes read time
As a maker, I am pretty knowledgeable about a wide range of things. But many of these are esoterica - facts that most others find trivial. I flip out over drill bits, for example. And I understand more about superglue than anyone outside of polymer chemistry should know. These and many other seemingly useless facts fill my mind. And at any given time, I am daydreaming about applying what I know.
It's safe to say that I am a nerd.
But why "nerd" and not "geek?"
Honestly, my definition of nerd vs. geek is pretty arbitrary. Look it up, and you'll find all kinds of competing explanations. But for me, "geek" refers to people in tech. And "nerd" is for the rest of us geeks.
Nerd is a good thing. It means saying to heck with the popularity rat race. Being a nerd is about letting go of what others say you should care about and instead doing what you want to do. No matter what.
I'm okay with being a nerd. Actually, I've grown quite proud of it over the years. And today, I've embraced it as not only who I am but also as my career. As a maker, I get to be a nerd in everything I do. And trust me, most days, I can be found doing all sorts of nerdy things.
Nerd doesn't mean you're an outcast. It just means that you try and not care about being an outcast or not. At some point, nerds of all walks of life decide that social norms are less critical. Instead, they scratch the itch, whatever it is. Nerds embrace what they love and celebrate who they are. Critics be damned.
For me, one of the nerd merit badges I wear is being gadget-obsessed. But I don't mean "gadget" as in the newest iPhone or the next big thing from Silicon Valley. No, I'm talking about really nerdy gadgets. Old-school scientific calculators, dial calipers, soldering irons, shortwave radios, and those drill bits I mentioned earlier - all part of my collection. I even have one of those magnifying visors only the geekiest of nerds would wear.
"Collecting" is a very nerdy trait. My nerd gadgets are all quite beneficial to me, and that's part of their appeal. But they're not only useful; I find them comforting as well. When I've had a hard day, sometimes I will sit and click my favorite mechanical pencil. That's it - sit and click. I do it for no other reason than to connect with something I enjoy.
These nerd toys feed my obsession and fuel my creativity. They also spell out who I am in all caps: N. E. R. D.
It feels good to accept that I am a nerd. And admit things like loving calculators and calipers. When I do, all the old pretenses disappear. I am free to be whatever I want when I am a nerd. Instead of feeling limited or awkward, embracing the nerd I am is empowering.
Sure, geek is chic. But I'm nerding-out over here. And that feels like exactly what I should be doing.
Until next time.
JRC