According to my list of non-official holidays in my diary, today is ‘embrace your geekness’ day, and that’s why Tall Blonde Tales will be celebrating ‘geekness’ in today’s blog post. Now the common thought around being a geek, at least from what I’ve encountered, is that it isn’t a good thing, and the word itself has quite a few negative connotations. The term ‘geek’ used to be a derogatory term to describe circus workers, and from there it was transformed into something of an insult on people. Now the terms nerd and geek are used interchangeably even though they have different meanings. A geek is someone brainy who is good with technology while a nerd is someone with an in-depth knowledge of a particular subject. How I define a geek though, is someone who has a particular affinity or interest in any subject or field. Well, today we are rejecting all negative associations with the term ‘geek’ (as we should generally do, not just today specifically) and celebrating it. Every single one of us is a geek in some way, so don’t feel ashamed of the term. Today, you embrace every aspect of your geekness with open arms!
Why you should embrace your geekness?
In case you needed a reason as to why you should embrace your geekness, here are a few for you. Of course, there are plenty of others, and we could go on all day mentioning them, but at the moment, these are my top three reasons as to why you should shed any shame and fully embrace your geekness.
It’s a term indicating intelligence
If we stay true to the actual meaning of the word, ‘geek’ is actually a term given to intelligent, or brainy, people. If that is the case, then why is being a geek a bad thing? It is literally a label that shows you are intelligent and knowledgeable (in any field in my mind, not just technology). It’s as if the world has given you a title that acknowledges your superior thinking powers, so why shy away from that? You’ve been deemed a person of intelligence (even if it was meant to be perceived negatively, it is technically a compliment) so be proud of that fact! Most people spend ages trying to get praise for their intelligence – and now you’ve got that!
It’s not actually a bad thing
I was hinting at this in the point above but being a geek is not a bad thing. Yes, it is used as an insult on occasion but think about it this way: the people using it as an insult don’t actually understand what it means, so they are indirectly complimenting you. Take that! There is nothing negative that comes from being a geek – it doesn’t ruin your chances of getting into college or getting a job; it doesn’t work as some repulsion technique that scares everyone away (in fact it is a great way to make friends because you have such a specific, in-depth shared interest). So if there are all of these positives, why on earth would you not want to embrace it?
It makes you different – in a good way!
One thing that I think everyone goes through is wanting to stand out from the crowd while still being part of the group. You want to fit in, but you also don’t want to blend in so much that nobody sees you. This is a problem that a lot of people deal with, and it is enhanced by the ever-growing presence and influence of social media. Embracing your geekness can help with this, though. Think about it – by embracing something you are passionate about, that automatically enables you to stand out without it being like a sore thumb and what helps the fitting in part is that there are probably lots of other people who are geeky about the same thing as you. You just haven’t had the pleasure of meeting them yet. Being different while still fitting in (in a group that is just as different as you), sounds like the lottery to a geek like me. What about you?
How to embrace your geekness
Now that you see why you should embrace your geekness, you might be asking “well, how on earth am I meant to do that?” Don’t fret – I am about to tell you. Just like the reasons why there are also many different ways in which you can embrace your geekness, and this can be with little things or big things, it just depends on how far you are willing to go.
Speak the lingo
All subjects have jargon attached to them, making them a little bit different from everything else. No matter what you are geeky about, be it maths, Harry Potter, theatre, Disney etc., there is most certainly lingo that comes with it. If there are specific catchphrases or jokes, drop them into the conversation. Don’t be afraid to sing the theme songs or get into character and re-enact scenes. This is a day to embrace your geekness so that means don’t be afraid to unleash it and share the beautiful lingo that helps make what you are geeky about special. I mean, I’d be spouting Harry Potter spells, marvel lines and Disney songs all day (and I do this on a regular occasion but this day gives me a free pass to do it without judgment so you can bet I am going to own it) so you shouldn’t be afraid to either!
Dress up
Dressing up is quite a broad term, I know, so if you have reasons for not wanting to walk around in full costume (i.e. your robes or some beautifully created character outfit), then that is totally okay. You don’t have to wear a huge sign expressing what type of geek you are or make sure that your outfit says it all for you. If you want to, you can do something as small as wearing themed socks or a little pin badge. All you are doing is wearing a symbol that shows you are proud to be a geek in that subject, and that is what today is all about. Whether that symbol consists of your entire outfit or a tiny little piece of metal on your jacket, that is up to you but be proud to wear that symbol no matter its size.
Flaunt your knowledge
I’m going to make an assumption here, so please don’t take offence if you don’t fit into this bubble, but I’m guessing that if you are a particular kind of geek, then that makes you an unofficial expert in that specific subject. Am I right? Well, if that is the case, then today is the day to own it! If you happen to be an expert in whichever subject you are geeky about, then today is the day to impress the world with all of that knowledge you have acquired. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean going up to strangers and telling them fun facts, but it does mean that if the subject comes up, you should embrace being as knowledgeable as you are. I certainly would 🙂
Learn something geeky
Now if you aren’t a fully-fledged expert, why not take this opportunity to become one? Today is the perfect day to learn something new – whether you know a lot or very little. Pick your geeky subject of choice and pursue a topic of interest within that subject. Why should you do this? Well, it is always good to know a little more, no matter what it is about. And also, you never know when a question relating to what you learn could come up in a trivia game, and I can assure you that you will feel like such a badass for being able to answer a question that stumps everyone else!
Celebrate with fellow geeks
A great way to embrace your geekness is to celebrate with others. If you have a geek friend-group, then get together and celebrate the subject that might have brought you all together. Have a themed meal or party, have a movie marathon or even play a game relating to your geeky subject. Whatever you do decide to do, know that nothing is more fun than doing it with friends. You all get to be fans together without fear of judgement – maximise that opportunity, especially on this day.
Be proud – it’s cool to be a geek!
Last but not least, the best way to embrace your geekness is to be proud of it. As I have pointed out, there is nothing wrong with being a geek, and in fact, it is quite cool to be one. I am a multigeek, and I can promise you that I haven’t come to regret my geekness in any of those subjects once. I’d highly recommend, if you aren’t one already, that you become a geek about something because it is fun, light-hearted and something that you can truly be proud of. We are always encouraged to be proud of ourselves and the individual aspects of our personalities; well, your geekness is part of your personality, so be proud of it! You don’t have to celebrate in any or all of the ways I’ve suggested, but as long as you take two seconds in your day to say you are proud to be a geek, then my work is done, and I am happy to leave you to whatever geek-fest awaits you!
So to all you geeks out there, and all of you future geeks, I genuinely hope that this blog post has reminded you why it is good to be a geek, and perhaps encouraged you to find a way to celebrate it on this special day. Life is too short to be boring and serious, so on a day that allows you to go wild about something you’re passionate about, I highly suggest that you take full advantage of it. For my question of the day:
- What kind of geek are you?
Quick disclaimer, there is no wrong answer to this question, and as I said earlier, I am a multigeek. I happen to be geeky about Disney, Marvel, Harry Potter, musicals, and books in general (and I’m pretty sure I’ve missed one or two other things but let’s stick with those for now). There is nothing wrong with being a geek, about one thing or many things — so happy geekness day to every one of you. Thank you for spending part of your day reading my blog, and I hope that you have enjoyed embracing your geekness. From the bottom of my heart, you geeks are all fantastic!
Lots of Love
Blondey on a Mission xxx
Tall Blonde Tales 
One thought