What kind of geek are you?

Anyone who is not a geek for something is boring, so keep that in mind and find something worth geeking about." Colin Wright   (In 'How to be Remarkable' a free e-book that I heartily recommend - he is remarkable, so it's from the horse's mouth, as they say!)


"Geek' has become a derogatory word for many of my generation, implying a young person who wastes their life on dead-end techno games and and other pastimes such as Warhammer  or LARPing.  I'm with Colin on this one - just because someone's geekery may not be yours doesn't mean it has no value, if you reject their geekery, you are demonstrating (a) you have a closed mind and (b) you are afraid of life! 

If you haven't a clue about someone's geek subject, this is a great opportunity to learn.  5 years ago, my son was working for Games Workshop, running big events for them, I really didn't understand  what it was all about, and thought it was a dead-end job that was all about an escapist pastime, and was worried that it would disable his ability to make a good life for himself 'in the real world' - poor, unimaginative woman!  I care enough about my son that I decided to take part in this table-top wargaming hobby, to find out what it was all about (know your enemy!)

Well. am I glad I did!  I never got very far, to do it well would have required a level of time and commitment I simply didn't/don't have, but I discovered that there is much to learn about strategy, tactics, psychology, sociology, bonding, art, hand-&-eye co-ordination, creative thinking  . . . . a long list of skills, from these guys (and girls!) and their hobby.  I met some lovely people (alot less judgemental than many of my own generation!) who are still adding much joy to my life, and learnt to question my own assumptions at every turn. 

There's also an old saying that if you're bored, you're probably boring!  This experience certainly proved the truth of that to me - these young people (mostly) rarely complained of boredom, there were models to make & paint, if they had no one to actually game with, magazines, events (massive ones, the kind of organisational skills my son acquired still blow me away!) art work to create and admire . . . . . always something to keep the mind active and enthused, and a fine opportunity for those who are socially isolated, in any way, to make friends and develop social skills. 

Geeks? They're wonderful!   Being a geek is about being excited and passionate about life, and I'm an unashamed geek, though my passion isn't for Warhammer 40,000, great though it is!  My passion is about the quality of life, rather than the standard of living, my passion is  about acquiring and sharing skills and knowledge, my passion is about doing all I can to empower everyone I come into contact with to be the most they can be - to be glorious GEEKS! (Oh yes, and I'm also passionate about knitting and 'artist' bears and , and, and . . . . . loads more!)

What kind of geek are you?  If you're not a geek, why not?


You can follow Colin on Twitter , he is @colinismyname, and he points you in the direction of excellent reading!


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