I am a nerd. And am proud of it!! I do archery, play Dungeons and Dragons (I'm actually the best thieving elf that ever
existed lived in a fantasy world), and certainly know my way around Hyrule. I gather together with friends to read poetry, and have long discussions on the back porch about Hamlet and Раскольников. I can explain the plot line of Kingdom Hearts, and why it is that the Doctor wears a fez, though my audience often won't understand. I've had my years with a Star Trek movie every Sunday and a chronological Disney marathon through the Summer. I've been thinking about this a lot lately with comic con next week (!) and was having a discussion with my brother about it. We laughed at how nerds act, but all in good appreciation, because I realized exactly how much I love nerds.
There's a stereotype about how nerds act-- that they're anti-social, but like the typical stereotype, is critically wrong. Just look at a convention-- we
love socializing! When two nerds get together with passion in their eyes, they may never
stop talking. They let who they are and what they love shine through, and they are proud of that. They are happy with who they are, and they don't let others break that. They are open to each other and accepting of each other, because they all recognize that passion within each other. If you went to comic con and asked someone dressed as the Doctor where he parked the TARDIS, he would totally play along. You could have a whole conversation with someone you've never met before, and not be afraid at all. That's why there are conventions! We like to stand in places where we feel comfortable, where we show who we are and what we love, and be completely accepted for it.
What does this have to do with global citizenship? Well, it takes some thinking, yet it seems that I've been doing a lot of that lately, with activism and citizenship, and connectedness, and school, and work, and a social life... So everything is woven together in my mind to form one massive ball of wire, with shocks of ideas bursting through every few seconds. So, needless to say, the idea of global citizenship somehow crossed my mind in thinking about comic con. Particularly, on holding tight to values and letting them guide your life. I decided to make all this into a blog post because of this quote by Wil Wheaton. Please excuse the length, but I think it's worth the read.
At Calgary Expo 2013, Wil Wheaton was asked by a fan to tell her newborn daughter why being a nerd is awesome: "Hi Violet, My name is Wil Wheaton. It's 2013 and you've just recently joined us on planet earth, so welcome. I'm an actor, I'm a writer, and I'm a dad, and your mother asked me to tell you why it's awesome to be a nerd, and that's an easy thing for me to do because that's who I am. I don't know what the world's going to be like by the time that you are old enough to understand this. I don't know what it's going to mean to be a nerd when you are a young woman. For me when I was growing up being a nerd meant I liked things that were a little weird, that took a lot of effort to understand and appreciate. It meant that I loved science; it meant that I loved playing board games and reading books, and really understanding what went on in the world instead of just riding the planet through space. And when I was a little boy people really teased us about that... and made us feel wrong for loving those things. Now that I'm an adult I'm kind of a professional nerd, and the world has changed a lot. And I think a lot of us here realized that in being a nerd, or in being a geek... It's not about what you love; it's about how you love it. So there's going to be a thing in your life that you love, and I don't know what it's going to be. It might be sports, it might be science, it might be reading, it might be fashion design, it might be building things, it might be telling stories or taking pictures. It doesn't matter what it is... The way you love that, and the way that you find other people who love it the way you do is what makes being a nerd awesome. The defining characteristic of us... the people in the room (camera pans to the audience with cheers) The defining characteristic that ties us all together is that we love things. And some of us love Firefly, and some of us love Game of Thrones, these are things you'll be able to see in your history books (laughs). Some of us love Star Trek or Star Wars, or anime, or games, or fantasy, or science fiction. Some of us love completely different things, but we all love those things so much that we travel for thousands of miles (which is probably easy for you but we're still on fossil fuels).. we come from all over, in some cases all over the world, so that we can be around people who love the things we love, the way we love them, and that's why being a nerd is awesome. And don't ever let anyone tell you that that thing that you love is a thing you can't love. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't love that "that's for boys you have to love this cause you are a girl" You find the things that you love and you love them the most that you can. And listen, this is really important. I want you to be honest, honorable, and kind. And I want you to work hard, because everything worth doing is hard and I want you to be awesome."
So the point behind this lies in a few ideas. I was thinking about how great it is to be an activist as we discussed in class, but then my brother and I were discussing how great it is to be a nerd, too. And somehow or other, my mind made the connection that nerds are activists and activists are nerds.
Let's hope I can use the right words to express my messy-wire-ball-of-a-mind...
To begin with, there's love-- there's passion. What unifies nerds, and also what unifies activists, is love.
Truly loving things, being truly passionate about something you believe in,
something that makes you stronger. See, something not a lot of people think about is
why nerds love the things they love. Although I can't speak for every nerd out there, I can talk about me, my nerdy friends, my dear nerdy brother, and all the other nerds around me. We love the things we love because it makes us stronger, it makes us
better people. I do archery because it tests my patience, my concentration. I play Kingdom Hearts because it teaches about love, about friendship, about courage, and duty. I play the Zelda series because it, too, testifies of courage and duty. I play Dungeons and Dragons around a table with friends because I love to laugh and play and exercise my mind with those people that I love. Poetry helps us understand the world, helps us get out of the rut of "riding the planet through space." <<Преступление и Наказение>> (Crime and Punishment) is all about forgiveness and mercy. Have you ever heard some of the 11th Doctor's quotes? "We all change, when you think about it, we're all different people all throughout our lives. And that's okay, that's good, you gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be." This is why I am a nerd, why I love the things I love! It's because it betters me as a person, it makes me stronger and kinder and more honest, and more willing to forgive. It makes me more open to courage, and more appreciative of the people in my life.
"Nerd life is so much better than regular life!!" - John Green. And when you love something so much for reasons like that-- bettering yourself and bettering your life-- you can't help but be proud of it. You can't pretend it's not a big deal. You have to stand up for that passion and believe in it with all your soul. You have to-- even if the "cool" kids disapprove. Even if you're made fun of for it. (Are you starting to see the connection with activism and global citizenship?) To them, strengthening their values and their character is
more important than anything the world tries to convince them of. Nerds would rather strengthen their values and take an opportunity to be a stronger person than heed to popular consent. It doesn't
matter what it is that you love. Some people like Star Wars, some like Star Trek, some would like to go to a convention, while others would rather stay home and watch movies. it doesn't matter
what you love, but no matter what it is you need to stay true to the values behind why you love it. Wil Wheaton dictates this advice to Violet: "You find the things that you love and you love them the
most that you can. And listen, this is really important. I want you to be honest, honorable, and kind. And I want you to work hard, because everything worth doing is hard and I want you to be awesome." It doesn't matter what you love, as long as you stay true to what you know is right.
Sometimes the things that make you a better person-- the things you love-- will be things that the "cool" kids like. Things that are popular, or socially acceptable. But more often than not, the things you love and the reasons why you love them aren't "cool," aren't popular, and sometimes you get made fun of, laughed at, or given dirty looks. I've been there. I've had dirty looks more times than I could count. I've been called weird, I've been ridiculed, and sometimes I've even been yelled at for the things I love. And I have a feeling that the majority of the people reading this have felt that sometime, too. But in the heat of the ridicule, to willingly choose to be surrounded with uplifting material, and stay "honest, honorable, and kind"-- what strength!
***
Here are some of the fundamentals that I've noticed and that I want to guide my actions as an activist. First, an activist needs to be passionate. So strong and powerful in their beliefs. This comes before ever wanting to influence the world. You have to be strong in what you believe, even when the world shuts you down. Even when you're made fun of for it-- when you get those dirty looks. When you're standing alone. You're in a group of friends, you're in class, whatever the circumstance, you stand up for what you believe. That is true activism. You stay honest, honorable, and kind, and you work hard and do your best. You stand up for what you believe in, and you'll find pretty soon, that you're changing the world. Captain America's most famous line of all time (back to the nerdy thing...) is in the comic books, not the movie.
He says, "...doesn't matter what the press says, doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say, doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world-- 'no. you move.'" The requirement that we stand up for what we believe in-- not a truer word said. Activists want to change the world for the better. So they stand up for what they know is right. They stand up when it's not the popular opinion. They stand up when they are ridiculed for it. They stand up for others because of what they believe in. The protect other people, they are kind to other people. They are honest, honorable, and kind. No matter what your circumstance, you stand up for what you believe in. Sometimes, this even means standing up for what you know is right when other activists want you to abandon those beliefs. You stay honest, honorable and kind no matter your circumstances. That means that even if you believe in something, you try to show people through kindness, through hope. You don't tear down others to get your point across. When others tell you to initiate change by forsaking your values, you can be an activist there! You remember to always be honest, honorable, and kind. You remember to respect other people, protect other people, and help other people. You don't forsake your values for anything. And that's how activists will change the world.
A convention is a beautiful thing! When nerds get pushed out of "normal" social settings, they may feel isolated or alone. There's the stereotype that we don't like to socialize, which isolates us more. Yet, we find each other. Are there Dungeons and Dragons campaigns around the county? Yes. Yes there are. Every Wednesday night, there is a volunteer DM to hold adventures, you can show up with a character and join in! The point is, nerds are
somehow united. Wil Wheaton says, "The way you love that, and the way that you find other people who love it the way you do is what makes being a nerd awesome." Activists unite too. And their uniting force is centered in what they believe, in what they know to be right, and in their passion and love for something. Activists go all over to
be with people that love/believe the same things they do, sound familiar? nerds do that too. There is power in groups, there is acceptance of each other, power in being with each other, and if you really want to change the world, it's so beneficial to do it with others on your side! Unity is a powerful force! He reminds us that, "the defining characteristic that ties us all together is that we love things."
Wil Wheaton also says that when he was a kid, being a nerd meant that he loved things that took a lot of effort to appreciate. One of those things was "really understanding what went on in the world instead of just riding the planet through space." As activists, we can't be blind to the wrong in the world. We can't be ignorant of our own footprint (See
Connected by James Fowler). We need to understand how the world works, how people interact, why they interact the way they do. We can only change the world through understanding who people are and what they believe. You can't change the world if you're stuck in your own muddy footprints. Looking out at other peoples, other mindsets, and truly seeking to understand other people, and loving and respecting
everyone for simply being
human, that's the only way to change the world. We can't just ride the planet through space, we need to understand "what [goes] on in the world"
Then we can focus on changing the world.
And then, finally, "It's not about what you love; it's about how you love it."
How, what a glorious word. We can say "why" we need to change the world all day, but when will we buckle down and say "how" will we change the world? One can change the world through anger alright, through in-your-face protests, through blaming the fault on others. Sure, that will leave an impact. But it is often a negative one.
How are we going to change the world
for the better? through kindness. Through love. Through respect. And remember, we need to stand up for these values no matter what. Even if "the whole
country decides that something
wrong is something
right." We
still stand up for what we believe in!!!
We let our values guide our actions, and through that, we can change the world.
To close, I want to share this epic quote from Samwise Gamgee.
Frodo: "I can't do this Sam."
Sam: "I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."
Frodo: "What were they holding onto Sam?"
Sam: "That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for."
Of course, she discussed that very idea of helping others. She expressed that is the true purpose of life-- to strengthen a community by helping neighbors, family, and friends. By becoming a global citizen, and making the world one dynamic community by serving all those around us-- locally, nationally, and internationally. What impressed me is that not only did she speak of the value of serving others, but she expressed it through her very example. She didn't just talk the talk-- she showed sincere care and love to the audience. She treated each question with heartfelt consideration, and treated each person with kindness and love as she addressed them. She even walked up into the stands to sit with the audience. To her, the glory of standing on a stage and giving a speech wasn't important. She wanted to interact with the people, and show that she was one of them. I was very impressed by her humility.I had the interesting perspective of having my father work with her as her medical escort on her visit here. He shared with my family exactly how humble she was, and how kindly she treated everyone she came across. She requested pictures with those that worked with her, and shook hands with everyone she met. She held conversations with those around her, and met new people-- was sincerely interested in what these new people had to share. To her, every soul was important. That, to me, is a stronger way to preach of service than giving a speech on it. Sonia Sotomayor was, through her daily actions, an activist, and she stood up for the values she believed in, and did what she knew was right. She believed in service, and she acted upon those beliefs. She truly believed in and acted upon honor and respect as she treated those around her as people with a strong individual worth.
