Know Thyself
Thanks to Girl Detective’s handy chart, I know at last that I am a geek, not a nerd. At least, I don’t think I am socially inept. Not often, at any rate. OK, maybe sometimes. Like the famous family story of the first time I met Scott’s older sister. When Scott and I started dating, Susan was living in Somalia, so I was hearing about her for a good year before our paths crossed. Susan is seriously brilliant, beautiful, poised, and accomplished, and I was just this awkward college student with little-girl looks and bitten nails. I knew how much Scott respected his sister and felt somewhat intimidated about making a good impression.
Shortly after Susan returned from Africa, a friend’s wedding drew the family together. I knew I would be meeting Susan for the first time. When we arrived at the church, Scott dropped me at the front entrance and went to park the car. I entered the foyer and recognized a knot of women chatting quietly in one corner: Scott’s mother, two of his sisters-in-law, and—I knew her from photos—Susan. As I crossed the foyer I silently rehearsed what to say: Hi, Susan, I’m Lissa. Hi Susan, I’m Lissa. But just as I reached the group, Susan put out her hand and said warmly, “Hi, Lissa!”
Completely thrown off my mental script, I blurted, “Hi! I’m Susan!”
Perhaps we should go with 70% geek, 30% dork. Intelligence and social (in)eptitude may be fluctuating variables, but I think it’s pretty safe to say obsession is the constant.
Kathy says:
Oh my, this sounds all too familiar! Some people unaccountably have the ability to make me completely discomposed and tongue-tied. It is so embarrassing!
On April 29, 2010 at 11:16 am
sarah says:
I also am a nerd, but I think most people who know me secretly call me a dork because I am so social inept my intelligence doesn’t get any chance to reveal itself.
On April 29, 2010 at 12:32 pm
sarah says:
see, and I just proved it with that “also.” I did read your post, I really did! It’s just that during the writing of my response my intelligence was held down by my social ineptness, covered with a pillow (a handmade one with pink fabric and lace trim) and suffocated until it gave up.
On April 29, 2010 at 12:37 pm
yvonne says:
I’m with you Sarah, still a nerd. I held high hopes when I clicked the link, perhaps, just perhaps I had evolved. But, alas, I am still a nerd.
My husband explained to me that for most people–people not on this spectrum of course–nerd and geek and dweeb are all pretty much the same. I think he meant this to be reasuring. Not so much.
On April 29, 2010 at 10:03 pm