"The journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step." - Lao Tzu
Is this the single step? Well, perhaps, but it's certainly the first of many. It's kind of intimidating, being the first to post here. I only hope that this isn't intensely disappointing! I feel like I should be cracking a bottle of champagne against the edge of this blog, christening it properly - however, because of the obvious damage that would do my computer, I'm going to just give a nice 'hello!' and hope that that is satisfying enough.
As a first post, I think it fitting that I discuss how I discovered Nerdfighteria. It was about early 2010 and I was seventeen. I'd been watching Charlie McDonnell's videos for quite some time and finally, after hearing him mention Nerdfighters and John Green, I decided to look up nerdfighters on YouTube. Lo and behold, I was directed to the How To Be a Nerdfighter video, which captivated me. The idea of an entire community dedicated to things like being awesome and decreasing worldsuck and being nerdy was a totally awesome idea.
I've always been a bit of a nerd, I don't think that was a surprise to anyone. But with that nerdiness also came a feeling of... well, it wasn't shame or guilt or anything, but it was a feeling that I couldn't really be myself around other people - what if they judged me, called me names? I'm sad to say that my life used to revolve around what other people thought of me - I based my life solely on what I thought people wanted me to be. But this concept of Nerdfighteria, a society where it's okay to be you, regardless of the multiple times you've read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (eight times, I'm now proud to say) or the number of times you've raved about your favorite Doctor (it's such a tie, Matt Smith and David Tennant are both brilliant). This concept, of a place that's so pro-nerd that it's utterly fantastic.
To me, it doesn't even matter that I've never met any Nerdfighters apart from my best friend Mariah. The fact that I have this community of people that I can rely on to be supportive and to be awesome with is so incredible. I can say that Nerdfighteria has changed me for the better - I am more capable of being myself and not caring what other people think. I can take pride in my nerdiness and be who I want to be, decreasing worldsuck and all. So thank you, Nerdfighteria, and DFTBA.
See you all next Monday, and best wishes!
-Taylor
P.S. My posts will generally not be this late! Of all the Mondays, this has to be the absolute busiest!
Because I think we should start commenting. Also, because I have something to comment about.
ReplyDeleteI think it's really interesting what you said about being judged for nerdiness. I totally understand what you mean, but it also makes me really sad. I feel like most people in the world have something that they are really passionate about. I also feel like most people could get behind decreasing worldsuck and increasing awesome. Maybe we don't all love the same things, and maybe we have different ideas about how to decrease and increase, but can't we all just get along.
I guess I think about this kind of judgement a lot because I'm getting ready to have my own classroom of teenagers this year, and the judgement really starts then. What can we do to create a living breathing nerdfighteria in our lives? (and in my classroom?)