<p>Hi. I wrote this for a mandatory speech class at school (and gave it in front of the whole school! Woo!) but with application deadlines fast approaching I havn't been able to think of any other essay topics, plus I figure I've already gone through 5 drafts of this so, here it goes:</p>
<p>Who are those people? What are they wearing? Why are they dressed like that, I mean its not Halloween, and in public too? What freaks! Thats what they must be thinking, with those prying eyes, those awkward half-hidden glances, as if they were embarrassed for us. Though I had to admit the reactions of the little old ladies on the other side of the glass were somewhat amusing. Still, maybe having our little get together in front of a wall sized window facing into a suburban strip mall wasnt such a good idea. I almost felt on display. Most of the bookstore patrons would peek in to see what all the fuss was about, then turn away as if we werent there. So what were my friends and I doing that was so eccentric, so bizarre as to draw all this attention? It was a book signing, which wouldnt have been too out of the ordinary, save for the fact that scattered among the attendees, were Jedi, stormtroopers, and the odd Princess Leia.</p>
<p>I must confess that I am a geek. I spend countless hours lurking on Star Wars message boards, I sew Jedi costumes in my spare time, and most humiliating of all, in the September 2003 issue of Star Wars insider magazine, of which I am a subscriber, a piece of fan art of mine was published. That, embarrassingly, was a collage of Jar Jar Binks. </p>
<p>But perhaps I should not be ashamed. For I have a feeling that whoever is reading this right now is a geek too.</p>
<p>If you recoil in horror at this pronouncement, Im not surprised. The word geek has a history of negative connotation and unfortunately conjures images of misdirected intelligence, poor eyesight, bad hygiene, and social ineptness. </p>
<p>But this traditional stereotype is not true to life. For a moment, consider what makes, say a Trekkie, weird and outside of what is considered socially normal? Take the fanatic football fan; an enthusiastic male who shows his devotion by painting his body from top to toe in brightly colored grease paint, and then standing outside, nearly nude, in freezing temperatures, just to cheer on his team. When you think about it, there is very little difference between me and these football fans. We have simply become more acquainted with our respective interests then the majority of our peers. Geekyness is nothing more then an expertise, a vested interest. </p>
<p>Anyone who has a passion for something whether it is Star Wars or Shakespeare, nail polish or Nietzsche, is a geek. And they should be proud of amassing so much knowledge in their particular field even if some may call it useless or a waste of time. Were all different, and were all drawn to different things. It is not right to deny ourselves, the right to express ourselves. So dont be afraid to be yourself. For as Yoda says, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering. </p>
<p>Comments?</p>