CTReaderEast.com Local News, Read all about it!: Portrait of a Closet Nerd

Portrait of a Closet Nerd
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Audrey  Saunders on 01 October, 2008 06:07:00
 
Being a member of society, I have noticed that one thing we humans love to do is
label things. Whether it be Tupperware containers or the kid sitting next to us
in English class, labels work as a mode of organization, or in other words, a
way of making sense of all the ideas flying around in our brains. So, in order
to paint an accurate portrayal of myself, I will use a stereotyped, cliché
label, so hopefully you, my readers, can figure out who I really am before you
apply your intelligent and critiquing minds to the reading of my many articles.
In as few words as possible, I, Audrey Saunders, am a nerd.
I would like to call myself brave for stating this fact so bluntly. High school,
as we all know, is a quest for universal approval, so to use a word like
“nerd” to describe myself, I am taking a huge risk. Not many people, besides
my closest friends, know that I am this way. To the naked eye, I would seem to
be a put-together, mature teenager, but in no way a typical nerd.
In my opinion, the meaning of “nerd” has not changed since my parents were
in high school. We all know the question-answering, pocket-protector wearing,
pants pulled up to the armpits kids who are snickered at behind the teacher's
back. I do not consider myself this type of nerd, but one much more secretive
and disguised. I am a closet nerd.
Let me describe why I believe this is so. First and foremost, I love to write.
Any school assignment that requires me to analyze, explain, or prove my
abilities with the use of a pen (or more preferably, a keyboard) is a welcome
challenge in my eyes. Furthermore, I could not describe the satisfaction I
receive from the look of a finished paper, margins stretched and paragraphs fat.
It makes me feel like a hunger has been satiated; I can now relax and wait for
my teacher to be impressed (I realize that this sounds rather cocky, but I would
like to describe it as confidence).
One other great love of mine goes as well with writing as maple syrup does with
waffles. I love to read. Much to my embarrassment, when my English teacher asked
the class who they would describe as their “reader friend,” they immediately
bleated my name. Even more nerdy still, I took a little pride in this. Who
doesn't want to be considered the intellectual of the group? Perhaps
intellectual is stretching the definition of “reader” a little far, but I
believe that I am free to interpret it however I wish.
What I choose to read is, in some ways, even more embarrassing. I will declare
it now, in all honesty: I am in love with the Harry Potter series. Yes, it is
true. I cried multiple times when reading the last book, laughed along with the
characters, and felt like a close friend of mine died upon completing the last
chapter of the final volume. I have read each book more than once, and some more
than twice. In addition, I adore the Inheritance books, such as the novel
Eragon, by Christopher Paolini. Imagine the confusion my cool, confident friends
expressed when I said, “I cannot wait to go to Barnes and Noble on Sunday to
buy the next book in my dragon series!”
Actually, thinking over this portrait of myself, I realize that I take great
pride in my nerd-dom. I may party all night long, but what I would, in
actuality, rather be doing is curling up in a plush chair with someone I love
and a good book, while the rain streams down the window panes and the only sound
is the water on the glass. Why shouldn't we be proud to value intellectualism?
What is the true source of the negative connotation of the word “nerd?”
There is no reason why we should hide in our symbolic closets anymore. We are
the future journalists, professors, doctors, and businesspeople. Our interest in
learning and literature will benefit us in every way. They may call us nerds,
but we can quickly and wisely retort by calling them jealous. Or even covetous,
because only us smarty-pants will know what that means. Every closet nerd should
throw away their high heels and football helmets, casting off their outer label.
Whip out your pleasure-reading novels, and embrace it!