Did you guys hear my latest news?
I’m now a contributing author over at GeekMom. Can you even believe it?
I was over-the-moon-excited to go online and “meet” the GeekMom founders, editors, and my fellow writers. And, wow, what an amazing crew of superbly geeky women!
But, after about two-point-two minutes of being an official GeekMom, I started to question my presence among them.
Why am I in here?
How did I get in here?
Did they intend to select me? Was this a mistake?
Am I geek enough for this job?
What on Earth is cosplay?!
Folks, I felt like a fraud. A fake. A phony. I felt as if I had pulled the wool over the eyes of the whole GeekMom crew. Because, really, let’s be honest here: there are some extremely popular geeky things that I’m just not that into, including:
- Comic books
- Star Wars
- Star Trek
- Videogames
Those who know me in real life know that I’m comfortable in my own skin. I don’t succumb to self-doubt and comparisons, but rather I embrace my strengths and acknowledge my weaknesses. I am who I am, it is what it is, I am happy… and all that jazz.
What I’m saying is: This questioning wasn’t a result of low-self esteem.
After some soul-searching and sleep, it became clear to me that I was suffering a form of Geek-related Imposter Syndrome.
The reality is, my geeky pursuits may differ from other GeekMoms, but they are still geeky. When all those GeekMoms were GeekGirls watching Star Wars, this GeekGirl was engaging in some different, yet equally geeky, activities:
- Devouring the latest book series, five feet up in a pine tree…
- …or listening to the entirety of The Goonies - which I had recorded myself with cassette tapes and tape recorder- on my walkman while up in that tree.
- Constructing a fort that sustained three New England winters.
- Crouching in that fort shouting, “Get my coat, Diana! Stop crying, Diana! I know exactly what to do for the croup. Ipecac is an expectorant!”
- …or lamenting, “I was firmly convinced it was raspberry cordial. Oh, please don’t say that you won’t let Diana play with me anymore. If you do you will cover my life with a dark cloud of woe!” (I do believe that was Cait Cosplay right there, folks!)
- Trading my hostess cupcakes and twinkies for my friend Kristen’s fresh figs at the lunch table.
- Using my one Barbie, Get-in-Shape-Girl, to gain access to a neighbor’s Barbie-themed playdate before convincing the group that it would be way more fun to create a publishing house with her amazing craft supplies.
Some of those GeekMoms, as GeekGirls, had Star Wars, anime, and video games whereas I had The Goonies, Anne of Green Gables, and board games.
Now, at 37-year-old, I still love all that stuff I loved as a kid. Those things that friends would tease me about when we were younger: always carrying a book, writing in my journal, spending time outside doing little to nothing, daydreaming, opting for a board game over television… I’m proud of all those things!
What I have in common with my fellow GeekMoms is this: We embrace our geekiness.
Folks, I’m still geeky after all these years.
If you are geeky, too, you’re going to want to follow GeekMom on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Now, in addition to finding me here at MLP, you can also find me hanging around with these fine folks:
Caitie. I like the expanded definition of ‘geek’ so that it’s not simply a label for smart people with interests in computers, Star Trek, etc. but that it’s another word for gifted or rainforest mind. Doesn’t that make sense? Then, of course, you fit right in.
Thank you, Paula!
Abso-freakin’-lutely.
Years ago I wrote a post about how we are encouraging our spawnlings to embrace their “inner freak”. It doesn’t matter what it is, so long as you find something you want in life. My highlight this last week was pulling out some weird legal fact about defamation in the middle of a panel about bullying online. Yeah, I geeked out. But I made geek look good.
Your ‘geeky cape’ doesn’t have to have a Big S on it, or shiny sci-fi stars. As long as the person underneath has a passion and the words to share it, then flap that cape, baby. Flap it hard!