Being a Nerd: You are Not Alone. May the Force be With You.

So I'm a nerd. I will admit that straight-up, because it's something that I enjoy being. And really, people, being a nerd is one of the best things you can be.

It really ought to be a professional, high-paying career. Although, I suppose that careers really aren't meant to be THAT fun. In fact, I shall take the opposite train of thought: being a nerd should be criminal, simply because it is just that damn fun.

Ahem.

Unfortunately, however, I have met many a nerdy soul along the way of my life that feels that they are alienated for their differences. They wish that they weren't the way they are, because things wouldn't be so hard.

I can understand not wanting to go every day dealing with bullying and bad treatment just because you're different. Trust me, dudes. I have been there. I would like to offer you some semblance of relief, though:

You are NOT alone.

If it helps, I am with you in spirit. :D

I was lucky in high school. I met a large group of nerdy nerds that were just as nerdy nerd-like as I am. Most of us are still good friends, and we all do what nerds do best...TOGETHER! Whoo!

Those of you who have not been so fortunate, I promise you, you will find someone, or multiple someones. There are plenty of nerdy people to go around. Be it high school or university, you will meet those people who are comfortable enough with themselves to be themselves. My suggestion for finding them? Scope em' out.

If you're a geek for drama, then join the drama club. You like music? Join the band or the school choir. Further, get involved in things. Honestly, when I got invovled in stuff, I was shocked to find as many otakus (definition: Japanese word for someone obsessed with something, but the English definition is mostly pertaining to those who are utterly obsessed with anime/manga culture) as I did along the way. Seriously. They were EVERYWHERE.

Funnily enough, I'm still friends with most of them.

These are the friendships that you will come to cherish. These people are awesome. However, you don't need to limit yourself to nerds like you. One of my very closest friends is most certainly not a nerd in any way, shape, or form. Well, with the exception of a slightly creepy obsession with giraffes and a firm belief in the religion of Johnny Depp-ism (which is not a real relgion, people). The key is that she doesn't give half of a crap about what I'm like. These people, also, are awesome.

Just remember to be yourself. Let your life shape who you are. Don't let the people around you shape who you become. You are the only one with any right to choose the person that you will be in the future. Never let another person take that right away from you. If they do, then you need to put some serious space between yourself and that person/those people.

Frankly, this rant/advice piece was started when I was talking to a guy that I'm doing an anime fan dub with. We were chatting on Skype, and he mentioned that he doesn't have a lot of friends and gets regularly bullied because he's different. This upset me, as I went through this when I was younger, and I just wanted to put it out there to any person who finds this post and so happens to need this kind of help.

No one person is the same, so be YOUR person. Don't be anyone else's person. Become who and what you want to be, doing things that you want to do. You have to be able to look back on your life, thirty or forty years down the road and go: "wow. I'm happy with how I've lived my life, and happy with being the person I've been while living it."

This, fellow humans, is my advice to you who need it.

May the force be with you,
~ Ze NeRd

Song recommendation of the day? "Porn Star Dancing" by My Darkest Days. (The song just makes me laugh, because it's so freaking dirty....) Tee hee.