I guess I'm a freak, but I don't care.
Yesterday I read a journal entry written by a friend of mine. It said that she was talking to someone that referred to the sci-fi convention that she went to a couple of weeks ago as a "freak event." Needless to say, she wasn't happy about that, and neither was I. I went to the same convention, and I had a blast there. People there dressed up in elaborate costumes and spent the entire weekend partying and embracing all things geeky. They were the type of people to get more excited over sci-fi, comic books, anime, and role-playing games than more "normal" interests and hobbies. It was a lot of fun hanging out with them, even though mainstream society would call them "freaks."
I've been thinking about that post and about my own interests, and I've come to the conclusion that I am not a typical guy. I'm a geek who is into things that are just far enough outside of mainstream society to get me labeled as a freak by certain people, and not only am I okay with that, but I'm proud of it. I've seen how a typical person is "supposed" to act in this society, and it just doesn't interest me. I don't get excited about sports, I don't see movies just because everyone else is seeing them, I'd rather read a book than watch TV, I don't obsess over landing high-powered jobs, and I can't tell you what bands are popular now. Most of my friends are the same way, so it's not like I'm alone in my so-called weirdness.
Despite my "geeky-and-proud-of-it" attitude, I can't help but feel a little bit uncomfortable around people who better fit into mainstream society. I'm generally friendly and respectful enough to at least get along with everybody, but I often find myself being a little too wary of anyone who comes across as "too normal." I get the impression that when I talk to them about the things that I find interesting instead of NFL draft picks or whatever was on TV last night they look at me like there's something wrong with me. Nobody is openly hostile to me, but I can't shake the feeling that I don't fit in with them. When I'm around a bunch of guys who are talking about sports, I get bored. If I tell them that, they look at me like I've lost my mind. It's easy to get the impression that they're right sometimes, that I'm some kind of freak because I'm not like them. And yet, I don't want to be like them. The "freaks" are far more interesting, and they're a lot nicer and more accepting of me.
As for the guy who implied that my friend was somehow not normal because of her interests, I say screw him. I'd rather hang out with someone like her than someone like him anytime.
I've been thinking about that post and about my own interests, and I've come to the conclusion that I am not a typical guy. I'm a geek who is into things that are just far enough outside of mainstream society to get me labeled as a freak by certain people, and not only am I okay with that, but I'm proud of it. I've seen how a typical person is "supposed" to act in this society, and it just doesn't interest me. I don't get excited about sports, I don't see movies just because everyone else is seeing them, I'd rather read a book than watch TV, I don't obsess over landing high-powered jobs, and I can't tell you what bands are popular now. Most of my friends are the same way, so it's not like I'm alone in my so-called weirdness.
Despite my "geeky-and-proud-of-it" attitude, I can't help but feel a little bit uncomfortable around people who better fit into mainstream society. I'm generally friendly and respectful enough to at least get along with everybody, but I often find myself being a little too wary of anyone who comes across as "too normal." I get the impression that when I talk to them about the things that I find interesting instead of NFL draft picks or whatever was on TV last night they look at me like there's something wrong with me. Nobody is openly hostile to me, but I can't shake the feeling that I don't fit in with them. When I'm around a bunch of guys who are talking about sports, I get bored. If I tell them that, they look at me like I've lost my mind. It's easy to get the impression that they're right sometimes, that I'm some kind of freak because I'm not like them. And yet, I don't want to be like them. The "freaks" are far more interesting, and they're a lot nicer and more accepting of me.
As for the guy who implied that my friend was somehow not normal because of her interests, I say screw him. I'd rather hang out with someone like her than someone like him anytime.