Helder Machado ~ Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference

I love being a Geek and for that matter a Nerd. Aren’t they the same thing and what is the difference between a Geek and a Nerd you might ask? For a good laugh, check out 16 Things That Frustrate Nerds to No End

Many people have their own definitions but for me being a geek is all about your own personal level of passion and excitement for something and not so much how everyone else thinks about things or how you measures up to others. It’s about being comfortable and honest with yourself and what you enjoy and not being afraid to show it. Each of my children self promote themselves as either a Geek or a Nerd and I love the fact that they are comfortable telling people that they are. Even going as far as to wear clothes that say Geek and Nerd. I guess it’s some what chic to do it now, but when I was young being a Geek or a Nerd was anything but cool.

I love being goofy and making other’s laugh and embarrassing my children and I know that even though they say Dad, please stop, they love the fact that I am the way I am and that makes me so proud that they are mine.

It’s basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating.

If you like something so much that a casual mention of it makes your whole being light up like a halogen lamp, if hearing a stranger fondly mention your favorite book or game is instant grounds for friendship, if you have ever found yourself bouncing out of your chair because something you learned blew your mind so hard that you physically could not contain yourself — you are a geek.

I’m incredibly biased, of course, but based on that last paragraph, I think we geeks sound like pretty awesome people to be around. So why, then, the lingering social stigma?”