I am a NERD

I am a nerd. I have known this my whole life. I have even explained this to my wife. I had to get into the subtleties of nerd versus geek, because if you weren't one or the other you didn't know there was a difference. They shouldn't be used interchangeably. Yes, I played sports. Yes, I had fringe friends/acquaintances in the popular crowd in school. Yes, the cool kids knew who I was, but that did not change the fact that I was, and still am, a nerd.

Along with a select few, we came together at lunch time and evenings to do our nerdy things. We played video games, role playing games (you know the ones), went to sci-fi conventions. We even spent a summer covered in carpet padding and remnants and beat on each other with bamboo swords. We played many different games. Most of my colleagues were in band or choir or both.

I just realised a few weeks ago I was still a nerd. I had bought some shirts at REI in Berkeley. I bought 3 shirts and apparently wasn't paying attention to 2 of the shirts that I had bought as they were a size too small to fit my "kingly" personage.

I took the two shirts back and received a refund. I then went over to the shirt area and picked out two shirts that would fit me. When I got to the counter and I was told the total of my purchase, I handed over the exact change that was in my hand.

The clerk looked at me with widening eyes and said "WOW did you just geek that out while you were standing in line? Taxes and all!!??

No, I said. I told him that I am a nerd not a geek. He looked at me puzzled. I tried to explain the differences, but I gave up and told him that I had just returned two shirts that were just too small and I still had the change in my hand.

"oh."

I just hope that when the geek inherit the earth I am still in good standing with them and they give me a good cushy government job.