I'm A Geek And Proud

It started with a staircase.

I was buying a book. It is something I do when I'm in need of a book to read. I've learnt that it is usually the most effective way of dealing with the problem.

There was a certain book I was searching for, recommended by a Russian girl. 'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman for those curious enough. I saw a sign saying 'General Fiction' and figured that since the book was both general and fiction, I'd almost certainly find it amongst these shelves. I didn't.

A brief question to an assistant and I was told that I could find the relevant book upstairs in the Science Fiction section. And here is where my rant begins.

Why am I forced to walk upstairs to buy a science fiction book?! I realise that they have to separate the books. I note that 'Crime Fiction' and 'Horror' were also separate sections. But science fiction was the only fiction section kept upstairs, with all the non-fiction stuff.

What makes Science Fiction such a thing of horror that it has to be hidden away from the general public? Are we really living in a world where people would rather read about murder and sex than about wizards and gods?

OK, maybe the trip upstairs wasn't so much of a big deal, but it got me thinking. The book segregation was just the tip of the iceberg. It was representative of the way geeks are treated in the outside world.

Why is it that people are afraid to say "I read comics" for fear that someone will sneer "Aren't they for kids?” usually someone whose only contact with the written word is the pizza takeaway menu that they regularly order from. You know, the type of person that is living proof the phrase 'survival of the fittest' died with the invention of the microwave.

It's okay to say you read 'Atonement' but not anything by Terry Pratchett because one is deemed high art. They both have words and both require the same amount of intellect. Why the difference?

Why is it deemed obsessive to watch something like 'Star Trek' religiously, but when the whole of the world is watching 'Lost', then you are a fool not to be in front of your TV each and every week?

So, at this point, I stand up from my cheap plastic chair to face the circle of people around me; a bizarro AA-esque meeting. I hold my head up high and say "My name is Chris. And I am a geek."

My name is Chris and I know the first and last names of the Serenity Crew.

My name is Chris and I could write a passionate essay on 'Why Greedo Shouldn't Have Shot First'.

My name is Chris and I collect comic books. I know that X-Men is a metaphor for persecution of people who are different, and that Spiderman plays to the idea that if we have power, is it our responsibility to use it to help people. But really, I just like reading about people who wear tights, fight crime and say witty lines. The metaphors are just a bonus.

My name is Chris and I still shed a tear when Buffy impales Angel and sends him to hell (Discovered this yesterday).

My name is Chris and I have spent days of my life trying to get better and better at Guitar Hero. And yes, I realise that I should just learn a real guitar, but the game rewards me with messages saying how much I rock.

My name is Chris and I know how to play 'Magic the Gathering' and 'Yu-Gi-Oh'.

My name is Chris and I once debated with an eight year old as to which Pokemon was better.

My name is Chris and yes, I have played Dungeons and Dragons. And loved it.

And I will stand proud. Because although I may have done all of these and a dozen other geeky things, I am no better or worse than anyone who hasn't.

I don't live in my parents’ basement. I wash daily. I'm not overweight. I go out mostly everyday and I meet people and I socialise. Girls only scare me the requisite amount that they should. I can talk about sport (a little), politics (a little) and gossip (too much). I function in society.

And I'm sure that there are hundreds like me; people who like science fiction and comics and videogames but look and act like everyone else that doesn't. We are not freaks and, therefore, we shouldn't be scorned.

And we shouldn't have to climb a staircase to get to our books!

:)

http://steiner0101.deviantart.com/art/SPIDERMAN-14894162