I was going to name this post "Secret Nerds Are Out There" but "My Father Is A Trekkie" sounds like a Twilight Zone episode. Either way, the point of this post remains the same. There are people in the world who don't accept their nerdy ways and attempt to hide them. I know it's shocking but it's true. My father is one of those people who hides behind a false persona. How did I realize this? Let's go back to April of 2009.
The first film of the new Star Trek franchise was airing. I had seen a ton of Star Trek episodes growing up. But I had no love for the series. Sue me, just wasn't my cup of tea. But, my dad had complete sets. Because he loved it so much. I had only seen a little just because I wanted to hang around him for every moment I could, he's kind of awesome. I got a lot of things from my dad. Just not a love for Star Trek.
So it comes time for the film and of course my dad wants to see it. In fact he wants to see the midnight showing. But he can't go alone, because my father is a secret nerd. So one night he wakes me up and says get dressed. If you know my father he doesn't smile. Even when he's happy. He doesn't even smile while laughing. I don't think he has the muscles necessary to smile. So I was a little freaked out when he basically abducted me in the middle of the night.
We get to the theater and it's packed. I thought Star Trek was something just my dad liked. Nope, it has a huge following and the midnight release was sold out. As we're on our way in a man who looked to be about 40 also with his teenage son looks to my dad and says "kids and their movies." I shared a glance with that man's son that said "I don't even like Star Trek I was brought here by my father."
That's not when I realized my dad was a secret nerd. What happened next is when I realized he was a secret nerd. Two guys who seemed to be in their twenties were speaking a language I had never heard. It sounded like no language I knew. I speak English fluently, I'm okay at Spanish and I've had six years of Latin so this was strange to me. Then my dad starts laughing. I ask why and he says "that guy told a funny joke, you wouldn't get it." I would later learn they were speaking Klingon. My father is fluent in Klingon. Why is my father fluent in Klingon? Because he's a secret nerd.
Nerds aren't always on the highest rung of the social ladder, in fact we never are. I can understand why a person would hide their nerdy origin story. I hid mine for 19 years. I didn't want people to know I was a nerd because I had to keep up appearances. Did I ever skip football practice to play a new video game? Yes. Was I the only kid checking out manga at the school library? Probably not, but I never bothered to ask.
It took me a while to realize that I shouldn't be concerned with what other people think. I should simply embrace my nerdiness. You never know who is really a nerd. But I'm going to play your big brother here really quick.
You shouldn't care what people thing. Embrace your nerdy behavior and you'll feel a lot better. You'll stop missing out on things for fear of being judged. I know it may be hard to think of doing but you'll be so much happier. I'm not saying you have to go out and buy a pocket protector, I'm just saying embrace who you are.
The first film of the new Star Trek franchise was airing. I had seen a ton of Star Trek episodes growing up. But I had no love for the series. Sue me, just wasn't my cup of tea. But, my dad had complete sets. Because he loved it so much. I had only seen a little just because I wanted to hang around him for every moment I could, he's kind of awesome. I got a lot of things from my dad. Just not a love for Star Trek.
So it comes time for the film and of course my dad wants to see it. In fact he wants to see the midnight showing. But he can't go alone, because my father is a secret nerd. So one night he wakes me up and says get dressed. If you know my father he doesn't smile. Even when he's happy. He doesn't even smile while laughing. I don't think he has the muscles necessary to smile. So I was a little freaked out when he basically abducted me in the middle of the night.
We get to the theater and it's packed. I thought Star Trek was something just my dad liked. Nope, it has a huge following and the midnight release was sold out. As we're on our way in a man who looked to be about 40 also with his teenage son looks to my dad and says "kids and their movies." I shared a glance with that man's son that said "I don't even like Star Trek I was brought here by my father."
That's not when I realized my dad was a secret nerd. What happened next is when I realized he was a secret nerd. Two guys who seemed to be in their twenties were speaking a language I had never heard. It sounded like no language I knew. I speak English fluently, I'm okay at Spanish and I've had six years of Latin so this was strange to me. Then my dad starts laughing. I ask why and he says "that guy told a funny joke, you wouldn't get it." I would later learn they were speaking Klingon. My father is fluent in Klingon. Why is my father fluent in Klingon? Because he's a secret nerd.
Nerds aren't always on the highest rung of the social ladder, in fact we never are. I can understand why a person would hide their nerdy origin story. I hid mine for 19 years. I didn't want people to know I was a nerd because I had to keep up appearances. Did I ever skip football practice to play a new video game? Yes. Was I the only kid checking out manga at the school library? Probably not, but I never bothered to ask.
It took me a while to realize that I shouldn't be concerned with what other people think. I should simply embrace my nerdiness. You never know who is really a nerd. But I'm going to play your big brother here really quick.
You shouldn't care what people thing. Embrace your nerdy behavior and you'll feel a lot better. You'll stop missing out on things for fear of being judged. I know it may be hard to think of doing but you'll be so much happier. I'm not saying you have to go out and buy a pocket protector, I'm just saying embrace who you are.
