Geeks
“Idris: Are all people like this?
The Doctor: Like what?
Idris: So much bigger on the inside?”
-Neil Gaiman
Am I a geek?
I started playing flat track roller derby in 2014 and became slightly obsessed with playing and watching the sport.
Victorian Roller Derby in Action (not me)
Photo credit: Michele J. Hale
There are a lot of terms, techniques, penalties, game play strategies, and stats that would be lost on the average person. I’ve learned to balance how much I want to talk about derby versus how much others are interested in learning about the sport when I choose to disclose this part of my life.
Roller derby is a huge part of my identity and expertise. It may seem odd that my geek passion is a sport, however the reality is that the range of geek topics is limitless. What binds these passions together is the common thread of absolute mastery via intellectual competence.
What about you?
Whether it’s a type of technology, film series, architectural period, species of frog, or coffee bean roast, you likely have a subject that you derive satisfaction and a sense of identity from if you’re reading this.
People know to go to you about this matter for advice or knowledge. Frustratingly, some might also start to tune you out if you go into too much meticulous detail. Even worse, sometimes you feel like you can’t relate to others who don’t share this common interest. Maybe you’ve lost interest in people who are “normal” or even resent them. When you were younger you might have been bullied and still feel othered when you’re not with your tribe. If you don’t like the label geek or never identified with it because of the stereotypes, that’s okay! Let me know and we can choose the right word for you.
How can I help?
My hope is that as your counselor I can help you to feel comfortable for who you are in session. We can incorporate your geek passion in counseling when appropriate if that makes sense for your healing journey. Just an example: if you want to bring in a quote from your favorite graphic novel that inspired you to do some self-reflection, we can talk about it!
If you’re interested in connecting, you can e-mail me here. I am accepting new clients in South Austin at this time, so I’d be happy to set up a free 30-minute consultation with you.
Relevant Videos
Watch Will Wheaton’s response to a fan about how to deal with being called a nerd:
Check out this speech by Jim Kakalios encouraging new students to be geeks and nerds: