Are you a 'Geek'?
I am ... have been for years. There was a time when the term 'geek' was considered derogotary but I don't think it applies to the current age and words like 'nerd' seem to be afflicted on those poor souls.
To be a geek you HAVE to be passionate about something and you have to want to do whatever it is to the best of your ability, always striving for excellence, within the realities of your physical and mental strengths.
I think the first thing that I was geeky about was military aircraft back when I was at school. The next would be computers and all things computer associated - although I feel that one has gone now and doesn't qualify anymore as computers are too mainstream. They're everywhere now!
The same can be said of my third bit of geekyness: photography - in this era everyone's a photographer! I can hold onto it as a wildlife photographer I guess - simply because not many wildlife photographers (when taken as a whole) would spend hours and hours in a cold hide waiting for a glimpse of a potential target (which is often the case when I'm sat in my portable hide somewhere with a tiny hole in the soil for a piss-pot and a packet of sandwhiches with a bottle of water to last me the day).
I'm geeky about practising Shotokan too. It's come to regulate my routine for three days a week now, providing exercise, discipline and another way of coping with PTSD. I really missed it in those years that I couldn't train after the road accident; especially those times when a KUGB event would be on the box and you'd see Sensei Enoeda kicking off the proceeding (quite literally) with a demonstration against assailants. Sadly, my body has too many injuries now to do as well as I could before the road accident in 1995 and I know that I will have to train less often. I need to push myself just now though and train through the pain. The last training session was so bad that I had to stop during the warm up a few times. I've had my monthly accupuncture today though - so fingers crossed! If you suffer from PTSD - give Shotokan Karate a go. You can find a local club from the link on the KUGB website - the direct link is here.
According to Wikipedia:
In a 2007 interview on The Colbert Report, Richard Clarke said the difference between nerds and geeks is "geeks get it done."
Other definitions include:
A person who has chosen concentration rather than conformity; one who passionately pursues skill (especially technical skill) and imagination, not mainstream social acceptance.
A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest.
The main thing that I have found though is that 'geeks' are sound people. I haven't met a bad one on my journey yet. It's good to be passionate about something ... embrace your 'geekiness' and strive for perfection! Be an individual ... within the laws of your country ... but don't be too mainstream - explore avenues for yourself.
To be a geek you HAVE to be passionate about something and you have to want to do whatever it is to the best of your ability, always striving for excellence, within the realities of your physical and mental strengths.
I think the first thing that I was geeky about was military aircraft back when I was at school. The next would be computers and all things computer associated - although I feel that one has gone now and doesn't qualify anymore as computers are too mainstream. They're everywhere now!
The same can be said of my third bit of geekyness: photography - in this era everyone's a photographer! I can hold onto it as a wildlife photographer I guess - simply because not many wildlife photographers (when taken as a whole) would spend hours and hours in a cold hide waiting for a glimpse of a potential target (which is often the case when I'm sat in my portable hide somewhere with a tiny hole in the soil for a piss-pot and a packet of sandwhiches with a bottle of water to last me the day).
I'm geeky about practising Shotokan too. It's come to regulate my routine for three days a week now, providing exercise, discipline and another way of coping with PTSD. I really missed it in those years that I couldn't train after the road accident; especially those times when a KUGB event would be on the box and you'd see Sensei Enoeda kicking off the proceeding (quite literally) with a demonstration against assailants. Sadly, my body has too many injuries now to do as well as I could before the road accident in 1995 and I know that I will have to train less often. I need to push myself just now though and train through the pain. The last training session was so bad that I had to stop during the warm up a few times. I've had my monthly accupuncture today though - so fingers crossed! If you suffer from PTSD - give Shotokan Karate a go. You can find a local club from the link on the KUGB website - the direct link is here.
According to Wikipedia:
In a 2007 interview on The Colbert Report, Richard Clarke said the difference between nerds and geeks is "geeks get it done."
Other definitions include:
A person who has chosen concentration rather than conformity; one who passionately pursues skill (especially technical skill) and imagination, not mainstream social acceptance.
A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest.
The main thing that I have found though is that 'geeks' are sound people. I haven't met a bad one on my journey yet. It's good to be passionate about something ... embrace your 'geekiness' and strive for perfection! Be an individual ... within the laws of your country ... but don't be too mainstream - explore avenues for yourself.
