Super Geek Power….Activate!
Hi. My name is Shannon, and I am a geek. This is no shock to anyone who knows me well. I have always enjoyed all the elements of a Comic Con, although I may not have outwardly expressed my love for them.
But ask me to quote Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan?
“It’s the Genesis Wave.”
(A special wink to Bryan Reddish)
The original Ghostbusters?
“Nice doggie….good little pooch.”
Did I feel sorry for HAL?
Yeah. I did. 🤖
It took me decades to embrace my geek side. When I was a kid, I followed the beat of my own drum. My parents were baby boomers. I was the youngest of three, indirectly eight. Like most “babies of the family,” I embraced everything my older siblings liked.
If they liked New Wave music, I liked it.
If they liked Barry Manilow, you bet I was a Fanilow. (Still am, by the way.)
We were a Star Trek family. It didn’t occur to me until college that I had seen every episode of the original series. That made me a Trekkie—although I resisted the label for years. Sure, I had seen the original Star Wars movies in the theater, Quantum Leap was popular in our house, and to say I love The Simpsons is an understatement.
But I was not a geek. I was cool, hip, and … normal. Right?
I’ve mentioned before that I was bullied as a kid. I was heavy, dealt with some awful teenage acne, and lacked the sub-text filter. There was one girl on my sports teams who was relentless in her taunts. She was a tiny thing, and her best pal was tall—such a bully pair cliché.
I asked her once why she was so mean to me. She said (and I’m paraphrasing because this was over 40 years ago):
“I bully you because you are so different… you’re so odd and you don’t seem to realize it. You’re not normal.” 😕
It took years of self-reflection and therapy to realize that normal wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Not only that—what the hell does it mean to be normal?
I am a heavy woman who can quote baseball statistics as readily as reciting my favorite Bob’s Burgers lines. I love flowers and unusual jewelry. If it takes more than two hair products to tame my naturally frizzy hair, it’s not worth my time.
Normal is boring.
It sucks away your individuality. And it’s conforming to standards that are outdated, unscientific, sexist, and, in many cases, racist.
(I highly recommend the book Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia and the work of Danni Adams & Summer Innanen.)
It’s exhausting to try and fit social parameters that go against who you really are.
I’m not saying sociopathic behavior is ok; it’s not.
But if you enjoy comics, sci-fi movies, adult cartoons, and everything in between—embrace it! 🎭
Thanks to the influence of the Marvel and DC empire and Hollywood recognizing that real creativity can be found amongst the cosplay enthusiasts and weekly meetups sharing their favorite movie anecdotes...
Variety is the spice of life! 🌈
We should embrace our differences and be thankful that the world doesn’t look like some real-life Stepford Wives.
This year, I’m fully embracing my inner geekdom.
I am presenting at this year’s Atlanta Comic Convention. Believe it or not, I am more nervous about this than most other things I’ve done.
Why?
Because I’ve finally realized these are my people.
The people I want to be friends with.
The people who cheer on my love of Karl Urban.
The people who are creative, original, and care deeply.
So let’s do it.
“I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. deMille.” 🎬
