Everyone's a Nerd!

Author's Note:

This is a submission for the Literotica Geek Pride Story Event. Thanks to Puckit for organizing this first-time event!

This is just how I feel about Nerds, and how proud I am, to be one.

Disclaimers:

It's probably too long. I probably don't know how to spell very well. Somewhere, a story like this one has likely already been told. If for some reason you make it to the end and still don't like it, I will gladly give you a refund.

********************************************

I am a nerd, a geek. I tell everyone that, especially when they ask what it is that I do for a living. I work in technology, so of course I tell them I'm a nerd. What I have come to think of though, is that everyone is a nerd. Let me explain.

Everyone is not a technology nerd, let's get that out there right away. When I state everyone is a nerd, I mean that everyone has something to, "Geek out" about. Me, I geek out over new server hardware, the latest in cloud technology like AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Terraform, or even things like reading about the latest in containerized workloads (Docker). If anyone read that and said, "WTF?!" you probably aren't alone. If you did understand any or all of that, then you are just my kind of nerd ;)

How about a curve-ball? What if I told you I also geek out about stories? Writing has become more than just a hobby for me, and I really enjoy reading and putting ideas to virtual paper. When I get a new idea, I almost feel like I literally have a light bulb suspended over my head. Ding! I immediately stop what I'm doing (unless driving, unfortunately) and send myself an email of the idea. I feel I must have a record of it, so that later I can expand on it. Does this happen for other people? I'm almost certain that it does, although maybe not for everyone. Also, does it have to be limited to just a few, almost proudly separate people, that are passionate about technology?

As an example of something else that could make someone a nerd, you could be a Race-car driver. You drive a high-performance car around a track, doing 180 miles per hour down the straight stretches. If that is what excites you, wouldn't that be something that you "Geek out" over? Getting that racing line just right as you enter corner number 3, passing your opponent on the inside. I bet that would be something. How about the tuning of your engine, or the proper wear of your tires as you plan on your next pit stop?

How about if you are a doctor? Could there be anything there to "Geek out" about? I think there is. If I were a doctor, I would probably get excited about the prospects of doing some very complicated surgery. Could you be the first one to ever attempt it? Are you reading a patient's chart as if it were as simple as reading a news article? You could probably name parts of the body in your sleep, and tell all of us non-surgeons about your most recent operation.

I'm not one of these, but if I listed anything incorrectly, I apologize. I think they would be pretty awesome to do, though.

So, the way I see it, any career choice could be a nerd. How about non-career? Could a person really be a nerd if they don't work? Or, can people be nerds about stuff that has nothing to do with their job? Why not? Geekdom isn't bound by a job. Hell, it's not even bound by race or gender.

Yesterday, I saw a guy sitting at a bus stop, wearing a Metallica t-shirt (Still love them, having seen them live 3 times when I was younger). Normally, what's the first thing that pops in your head? If it was an image of a long haired white guy, you'd probably be in the majority. You'd also be wrong. He was a taller black man (guessing about 6' 4"), with a shaved bald head. I didn't want to make this essay about racism, but did want to point out that there is a bias towards what people perceive, as it relates to people and being nerds. I hope no one took offence at this, but if you did, chances are you need to be reading a different article. What we do in life that's important to us, and that we genuinely love doing, is what make us all nerds.

Is there anything in your life that excites you more than others in your life? Do you work on a board for a company? You might be excited by the prospect of tackling a major project delay, that is costing your company a lot of money. The rush from working through the problem, organizing people and resources, and the relief when the problem is solved. You are definitely a geek, and should be proud of it.

What makes you a geek? Tell me about it sometime, it might make for a great story.

********************************************

This was just my random thoughts. Let me know what you think, or if you have any other thoughts about being a geek. I'd love to hear them!

RNebular