Leah Rae Miller, author of The Summer I Became a Nerd, imparts some wisdom on how to embrace your inner nerd! Check out her guest post below.
Unleashing Your Inner Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
Unleashing your inner nerd is really a simple process. And the best thing about it is the word “nerd” can cover pretty much anyone. More often than not, people associate the word with someone who might be super intelligent or unpopular or both, but I like this definition better.
“Nerd. One whose unbridled passion for something or things defines who they are as a person, without fear of other people’s judgment.” –Zachary Levi
You know those people who know every stat for every player on their favorite sports team? That’s total nerd behavior, in my opinion. It’s just a different genre of nerd.
So, how does one let their nerd flag fly? I’m glad you asked. I’ve broken it down into four easy steps!
1. Find your nerddom.
Maybe on a whim you watched one episode of Doctor Who on Netflix, liked it, and decided to watch another. Six hours later you realize you’ve forgotten eat/use the bathroom/blink. This is the best kind of nerddom discovery: The Surprise Obsession. It’s when you stumble upon something and end up thinking, “How did I exist without this?”
There are lots of other ways to find things you’re passionate about, too. Maybe a friend recommends it. Maybe you overhear someone talking about it while you’re waiting in line to buy Nutella. Whatever way this happens, the next step comes very naturally.
2. Wallow in your nerddom.
Here’s where you read everything you can find about your nerddom of choice. You “like” it on Facebook. You make it your desktop background, your ring tone, your email address. This might sound time consuming, but it’s very, very enjoyable.
3. Express your love.
During this step, you’ll be telling anyone who’ll listen about how awesome your nerddom is. Phrases like, “Oh my God, I can’t even” and “You’re going to love this” and “I seriously need this *insert nerddom memorabilia thing here*” will be used a lot. You will find yourself buying t-shirts, phone covers, and desk toys that all have to do with your obsession. My advice is to set a monthly allowance for these purchases so things don’t get out of hand.
WARNING: It will be tough, but try not to go overboard during this phase. Unfriending and unfollowing are typical occurrences for people who do not ration their posts or tweets about their new found nerddom.
4. Find others.
This is the very best part. Whether you go looking for them on forums or they come to you because they noticed your awesome t-shirt, you will make plenty of new friends. You will understand each other, you will share nerdy stories, and you will email each other fantastic pictures and gifs all to do with your nerddom. Chances are high that because you both like this particular nerddom, you will have other nerddoms in common.
In the end, unleashing your inner nerd is easy, fun, and a chance to make new friends. So go forth and let your nerd flag fly!
