When I was in high school myself and a few other
nerd refugees would take shelter on breaks and lunches behind one of the school
buildings. Sun, rain, snow or hail we would gather to talk comics, sci fi,
movies and all other manner of geekery. We worshiped in this church of geekdom
in private, in secret, away from the main stream because we weren't the cool
kids, and our religion wasn't allowed to be public.
Times have changed! These days the passions
that were secrets to be kept are almost main stream. The internet has
revolutionized how people can interact, find communities and talk about their
interests. No longer do people have to wonder if they are the only ones, where the like-minded are hiding or if they
are forever doomed to live a life on the fringe.
It used to be that the bullies, the conformists,
dictated what was cool and what wasn't. Those chains have been broken for so
many. Even those still living in cultural wastelands can find connections to
others of their kind through social media.
Its now our job as a community to govern ourselves. Not all of us are free. With every rise to power there is the urge to marginalize those who we deem to be unworthy of the title. We will never truly be free till all of us are free to practice and enjoy our nerdiness however we want. Fake and real have no place in our new society. Real is in your heart, fake is the dark side.
Living in a “post cool” society is the utopia that
myself and my fellow refugees dreamt of on those cold days. Huddled together
under the overhang, reading our comic books or playing Magic the Gathering. So,
live your passions, find your communities and love being the cool that you are.
