The "G" word

geek:’gēk/:noun:1: a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake;2: a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked;3: an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity [computer geek]

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I can’t be a geek. It’s bad for the reputation. The geeks I know are the underdogs in B-movies whose glasses are as thick as windowpanes, with hair rarely visited by a hairbrush, and with a social life confined to the front and back covers of a book. Okay, so I'm not willing to wear the tag. Yet another thought challenged my initial apprehension: But who says we can’t break the stereotype?

And so ended—with minimum struggle—my stint in the geek denial stage which lasted all five seconds (though it necessitated a confirmation from a “greater geek” who answered my “Am-I-officially-a-geek-already?” question with a simple, and relatively painless reply: need u ask?? :-B).

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Today I accompanied Jenny, a Mac-user, to one of their monthly mac gatherings. They might not make a people-power crowd but what mac users lack for numbers they make up for passion. Mac-using geeks (there’s that word again) intently listen to the speaker/forum moderator as if he was teaching them how to survive WW III. But then again, if they were willing to give up a weekend afternoon to be sitting in wooden blocks at the Powerplant Mall, is it any wonder how they could stay glued to the seminar?

However, my friend and I had another agenda: Can we wi-fi and surf? Scouting for a hotspot, we zoom in on the outside tables at Figaro. But before we order anything, first things first: does it have signal? It does! Two 12 oz. iced tea please!

And so after folders of music and picture files were shared, a Q&A discussion on some websites took place, and all the battery power was drained (mine), we sipped the last drop of our drink and felt satisfied with our virtual victory. [On the left is an evidence of my satisfaction. Thanks for the picture, Jen!]

Yes, Merriam-Webster. You can call me a geek.