Are You a Geek?

[fastbilly1]

Over the years that term has changed in meaning. Like Jinx said, for a long time geek was an insult. However over the past few years it has become a trend. So geeks went from being the butt of a joke, to accepted.

I feel bad for all the Nerds and Geeks that had to go through the civil rights movement that lead to the freedom to openly declare yourself nerd or geek w/ out getting beat up. But in all seriousness I'm pretty happy you can be a apart of the nerd/geek culture and not have to put up with all the shit people gave you (not that I was around when this was partaking). I'm guessing this whole stigma ended in the very late 90's of very early 00's because I never heard or saw anyone get harassed/beat up for being nerdy/geeky for as long as I can remember (I started school in 01').

It happened, I got picked on a bit in school, and got in a few fights. And it was not just that, I know that both Ack and myself got profiled against after Columbine aswell. I had to go see a psychologist because one of my teachers thought I was a threat... Even though on the weekends and some afternoons I was working for the county doing video work for the school system. The reasoning for Acks profiling was that he wore a trenchcoat. Mine was that I read random books in the library during lunch. So while I would not phrase it as a civil rights movement, I am glad that I do not have to hide my geek tendencies anymore.

[Luke]

I had to go see a psychologist because one of my teachers thought I was a threat...

Oh boy. Don't judge.

When I was in elementary school I was obsessed with the Monster Squad, The Lost Boys, and Fright Night to the point of being a full blown vampire fearing weird-o. I once brought a "Vamp-killer kit" to school which was an old briefcase that contained wooden stakes (property markers), a jar of garlic salt, a comic bible of the Old Testament, a cross (from an old necklace I got at a yard sale), and tupperware full of holy water (from my church's water fountain).

I was an odd, funny child, and God bless my parents.

I'll never forget asking my Father "Do you think the Pastor will give me holy water?" and him saying "You can get it straight from the water fountain. Everything in church is holy".

[jinx]

I had to go see a psychologist because one of my teachers thought I was a threat...

Oh boy. Don't judge.

Looks like we were all in the same boat. I didn't do the "goth" thing until later on, and I guess I did it to be "freaky" to scare away the other kids. Of course, that also got me thrown into the school's counselor office a few times. Never got into any fights, but I got the tar beat out of me on many occasions, and my glasses were always getting broken by bullies.

Still... I felt wrong hiding my "geekyness". Those were my hobbies and I really liked them, so why should I care what other kids think? When I finally found other kids that shared the same interests, I got singled out a lot less.

I guess I'm happy that "geeks" are more accepted in today's culture, but I also hate how everybody is now a "geek" in their own way. Maybe I'm just bitter... The same way that thick glasses are sexy and cool, when I used to get my face beat in because I wore them.

[J T]

I am whatever you say I am.
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?

[Luke]

I yam what I yam, and that's all that I yam