What Kind Of Geek Are You?
What kind of geek are you?
I know, it sounds like one of those lame quizzes on Facebook that you get invited to take by people that you never talk to. Ever wonder why that is? It’s because people send those invitations to people that they don’t care if they piss off. At least that’s what I do.
Anyway, moving on, what kind of geek am I? That’s what really got me started on this train of thought. I mean the word geek gets thrown around a lot these days. And I’m mostly okay with that. I do it myself. But then I started wondering what different kinds or types of geek there are. And how many of them I fall under myself.
There are a lot of things that I geek out about, so I think that’s where I’ll start this whole shebang. So, in no particular order, here are some of the things that make me snort and push up my glasses and smile and act like I shouldn’t be in public.
Comic books: No I’m not a connoisseur of the 4 colour world. But I’m not all the way out of touch. I have a small collection of comic books on the shelf. For the most part it’s Batman and the Green Arrow, but there’s some DC Trinity in there, some JLA Villains, Hawkman, Watchmen and more. I have read all of it. I have re-read most of it. I crave even more. I love the fantasy. I love the action. And in the newer comic books I love the writing. I love the way that the characters interact and speak and joke and fight. There are some extremely talented people writing comic books. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. And the fact that I’m sticking up for them right now and telling you just how great they are is a sign of my geekiness. I also love the animated features and live action movies that have been released in the last few years. I have Justice League movies and TV show DVDs. I have the new Batman flicks. I have Iron Man and X-Men and some others as well. And I get a kick out of them. They entertain me. I like it a lot.
Now, there are comic book geeks out there that put me to shame. Shame I tell you. There are collections that fill rooms and basements and garages. There are heads filled with knowledge of alternate universes and realities and characters and stories. There are people who live to read and follow their favourite heroes. And then there are those who do all of that and dress in costume to go to ComicCon and other such gatherings. I know I’m not one of them. But in my own way, with my comic books and movies and love of the Dark Knight and the Emerald Archer, I think I’m a comic book geek.
My BlackBerry: I might not be a technogeek, but when it comes to by Berry I am certainly geeky. I blog, text, email, browse, tweet, organize, schedule, set alarms, take pictures, apply for jobs, and make phone calls with this thing. I’ve thought about changing to something else in the smartphone family, but I’m so attached to this thing. And it’s not even new. I want the new one. I want the shine and features and awesome. I may not know much about computers, but hand me a handheld and I’m good to go.
Love: I’m a geek in love. I can’t help it. I say cute things. I do cute things. I love the cute things that are done for me and said to me. I love to cuddle and hold hands and hug and all of those things. I send text messages and emails as often as I can. I love to receive them because they make me smile all the time. I miss her when she’s away. Or even when I get to talk to her but not see her for a few days in a row. Or sometimes even after a few hours. I love romantic comedies and cuddling up to watch them. I love the things that make her smile. I smile my biggest when she’s happy. And if I can make her smile every day I feel like I’ve done something right.
We call each other geek a lot. And it’s mostly in jest. If someone does something especially cute or lovey or romantic they are either lame or a geek. That’s just the way it is. And more often than not, I’m a geek.
Writing: I am a writing geek. I will write anything. And I love it. I have a blogs all over the place on the interweb. I have a Twitter account that I love to use for my short thoughts in written form. I have notes on Facebook. I used Myspace and the blog section forever. I have a novel that sits unfinished at approximately 30,000 words. I have a superhero story that I started a while ago that makes me smile and feel creative. I’m dabbling in the art of Zombie fiction, which is thrilling and daunting. I write letters and emails for co-workers because I can do it better. I wrote so much poetry when I was a teen that I became predictable. I even had a short poem printed in the Toronto Sun back in the day. I think my mom still has it on the fridge.
It’s the reason that I have this blog. I love sitting down at the keyboard and developing ideas and thoughts and stories and facts and all kinds of ridiculous scenarios. It’s the awesome.
Sports: I am a sports geek. There are no 2 ways about it. I love sports and geek out for sports way more often than I should. This fall I ditched the movie package on my cable account so that I could add the Super Sports Pack. That gives me access to college basketball and football, NFL football, Major League baseball, NHL and OHL hockey and NBA basketball. And I’ve watched them all. Sometimes more than one game or sport at a time with my awesome channel surfing skills.
I play fantasy hockey through the www.cbc.ca Kia sponsored pool and take the time to research opponents and track records and hot streaks and history before making the picks that will never ever win me anything. I’m almost 100 points behind the guy that is going to win the car at the end of the season.
I love baseball more than any other sport though. I started playing when I was 5. I started watching when I was 3. I started umpiring when I was 14. I hurt my knee playing when I was 24. I went to 8 Blue Jays games last summer. I buy score books when I’m at the ballpark. I go more than an hour early so that I can see batting practice. And last year I even got a ball during BP. But I turned and gave it to the little boy beside me. His smile was awesome.
I have sports cards and hats and shirts and scarves and towels and books and DVDs and pictures and novelty items. I’m not a hoarder though. Everything pretty much has its own place when the apartment is clean. And the cards are in my mom’s basement.
I will admit to being a sports geek above all else. There’s no use denying it. And I am totally okay with that.
Just like the ballpark, writing is my happy place. It’s where I geek out. It’s what I’m doing right now. I love it. You can’t stop me. If I could write at the ballpark I would be in heaven.
In the end I may not be the biggest geek you know. But I’m a geek none the less. And I challenge you to tell me that you aren’t a geek when the criteria are this: If you geek out about something, you are a “blank” geek.
Admit in the comment section what kind of geek you are. I’m interested to see what kind of geeks are hiding among us in plain sight.
And until next time, geek out like no one’s watching. And who cares if they are.
creator of content, daddy blogger, writer, coffee drinker, fan of the Batman. proud mo bro. prouder dad.
