Honest Geekhood

[abaris]

Same here when I played pen and paper D&D back in middle school.  I think that's why I joined track and set so many school records, I had lots of practice running from the bullies.  

I did that, back in the 80ies. Still miss these days of sitting in the candle lit cellar and let our imagination flow freely.

[Kingpin]

Same here when I played pen and paper D&D back in middle school.  I think that's why I joined track and set so many school records, I had lots of practice running from the bullies.  

I did that, back in the 80ies. Still miss these days of sitting in the candle lit cellar and let our imagination flow freely.

Yeah and it was gut-wrenching if your character died.  You felt so connected

[Iroscato]

See, geeks have inherited the earth. We're the new cool, and it shows. Everyone's shitting themselves in anticipation for the next Star Wars film. The biggest franchise in the world right now is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Damn near everyone has an Xbox or a Playstation or plays online games.

There's a geek inside everyone, and our generation is the first to be able to fully embrace it and proudly show it off to the world, without fear of stigmatisation.

UNITE, GEEKS! AND CONQUER THE WORLD!!

[TheRocketSurgeon]

Same here when I played pen and paper D&D back in middle school.  I think that's why I joined track and set so many school records, I had lots of practice running from the bullies.  

Ditto. Except I was placed in a very good martial arts school when I came home bloody from kindergarten after trying the word "salutations" on a fellow kindergartener. I didn't know it wasn't normal to talk like I did! 

I was a martial artist, and so was not afraid of having to fight the bullies... but we moved so much (dad is an engineer, and was often sent to a new plant every few years) that I was constantly meeting the "big, cool kids" as a geeky New Kid™.  Luckily, my parents only punished me if I fought when I could have backed out of it somehow.

In junior high, I discovered groups of geeks like me, and started playing D&D and in general enjoying my geekiness. This didn't make the bullies less aggressive, but when I wasn't forced by the school system to be around them, I had few problems, and enjoyed having geek friends. Summers, afternoons, and weekends were great, with them.

By the time I hit highschool, I didn't care; I practically lived at the local college, where I fit right in. Still wasn't one of the "cool kids", but it no longer mattered to me that I didn't fit in with my own age-group. 

I must confess, though, I find it a little shocking (but awesome!) that the things I was teased about, growing up, are now considered cool (by some), and the old standards of what previously meant coolness are now seen as douchebaggery. But it wouldn't matter, since as the OP suggests, geekdom is really a matter of saying "I don't care if you think I should like football and should not like LotR. Tolkien is awesome. Dr.Who/Trek/SW are awesome. Videogames are awesome. So I'm going to revel in them!"

The invention of the internet allowed us all to collectively go, "You too? Hells yeah I'll go to the Trek convention with you!" We realized that we weren't the only person on earth saying the above. Awesome! 

[ignoramus]

So now that geeks are cool, how do I rebel?

[Faith No More]

So now that geeks are cool, how do I  rebel?

You can always shit on Star Trek. That's what I do.

[ignoramus]

I can turn to jesus! That's about the most uncool thing I can think of! Or maybe go shoot some 8 yo girl or something.