I’m a geek and so are you.

I have to start by stating that I’m openly geeky. I’ll admit to anyone that asks that I am one of the geekiest girls you might ever meet… unless you find yourself in Silicon Valley. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, depending on how you look at it), all it usually takes is opening my mouth for anyone to notice the emanating geekitude, no questions or confessions necessary. More often than I like to admit, my friends have NO idea what I’m talking about and I’ve kind of gotten used to it.

However, I’m quite aware of my image as well. I like fashion. I love shoes. I’m 5’3″ so I can use all the help I can get – unless I’m not feeling well, I’m working out or I know I’ll be doing a lot or walking, you’ll rarely see me in anything but heels (usually at least 2.5″… I wasn’t kidding about the extra help part…). I love playing with makeup.

Basically, I make sure that I maintain a polished appearance and I show that I have my own personal style. You won’t necessarily see me in power suits, but I do keep it professional with my own kind of touch. Shallow though it may seem, aesthetics leave an impression. I want that impression to be memorable and favorable. See where I’m going with this? How I style myself is a reflection of who I am and how I choose to carry myself.

But Resa, how can you be a geek AND be all girly and stuff? And where do you get off calling me a geek?

Those are fantastic questions. I’ll get to the 2nd a little later, though.

As for the former,I’m not going to lie. I really get a kick out of the shock value of being a pretty girl* in an industry riddled with stereotypes of what a geek usually is. Sure, I fit into a few – I still live at home with my parents, but I’m in college and not far enough from my school to really justify spending that much moving out when I could save it instead. I wear glasses.. on occasion.. when I remember to wear them… Either way, many people notice that my personal image and my interests don’t exactly match up. I’m not your “typical” geek.

But let’s be honest: the face of geekdom is changing and it’s definitely not about aesthetics. John Hodgman spoke about being a geek vs. a nerd at the Radio & TV Correspondent’s Dinner:

Much love to the only PC I’ll ever enjoy, but I have to clarify where I stand on a couple things.
The way I see it, geek is a state of mind. It’s a never ending quest to learn more and question everything. Maintain the genius of the 5 year old and ask the most important question known to man: “Why?”. You can be a geek about anything. I happen to geek out on techy things, all things Apple, social media, tea, music and fashion. And grammar.** And Harry Potter. Okay, so the list doesn’t stop there, but you get it. But it doesn’t just have to be typical geeky things. Even the jocks geek out. I mean, God, sports stats are SO far beyond me but they rattle them off like the ABC’s.

So what’s your point, Resa?

My point is that it’s cool to be a geek, and frankly, we’re all geeks about something, so go on with your geek self and tell me what makes you geek out.

Sidenote:
* Yes, I think I’m pretty. No, it doesn’t make me vain. I have a healthy self-image.
** Poor grammar is just about the biggest turn off ever. Just sayin’.

Tagged as: Geek, john hodgman, obama