The moment that I became a nerd probably happen that magical moment that I was born. Perhaps there was something in air in the hospital that caused it, or perhaps there was magical nerd dust on the latex gloves that first touched me that caused me to break out into invisible nerd hives.
Whatever the cause was, there was no part of my life where I could remember fitting in with anyone other than my nerd brethren.
The first two movies I ever remember watching were "Nightmare on Elm Street" (the 1st one with that sexy beast Johnny Depp) and "Star Wars Episode: The Return of the Jedi". One of these movies scarred me for life and the other first hooked me on nerd culture.
The answer should be obvious.
There wasn't just Star Wars either. By the time I was 10 years old I was already questioning whether Kirk or Picard was the better captain, but also around this time I found something to pour my nerd wired brain into - Harry Potter.
It became, and remains to this day, the very thing that causes the nerdy thoughts to stick in my head.
In movies, being a nerd meant you typically wore glasses, you surpassed most of you peers in intelligence, everyday was a bad hair day for you, and you almost always ended up with that other nerd who'd been eying you.
Subtract the negative aspects of being a nerd: the bullies, swirlies, and the recurring sinus infection also stereotypical of my breed, and you have me in high school.
I always had my nose stuck in a Harry Potter book, glued to the TV watching a Harry Potter movie, or stuck on the internet reading (usually writing) Harry Potter fan fiction.
Eventually I found my way to the magical world of Wizard Rock: a genre of music dedicated to my one true love. There was no turning back after this. Wizard Rock led me to nerdfighting and deeper and deeper into nerd subculture.
Believe it or not nerds are a very intelligent brand of people; most nerds make me feel stupid. I spend so much of my time reading fantasy that I don't absorb much fact and tend to walk on sunshine.
Be that as it may, I can still hold my own (somewhat) to defend my beloved Harry Potter universe and other aspects of my nerd life.
I take an introduction to religious studies course. Today, our professor asked us all why we were taking it.
Instead of her and the rest of the class it was required, I gave another more heartfelt reason for it - I was a nerd who was in love with the paranormal. I spent my evenings watching LOST and Ghost Hunters, locked myself in my room to read Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia. The basis of most religions were on a deity or on the paranormal (as I learned giving a presentation about Shamanism today - whoa!).
Then she asked what I believed in, as she had of everyone else, and I said love was my religion. Did I believe in a higher power? Sure, but more than anything else I believe in love. And where did I develop this belief, she inquired.
Through Harry Potter and Wizard Rock.
One of my classmates found it curious that I wasn't Christian and that I related my religious beliefs to Harry Potter considering how a few crazy people out there lost their minds over thinking that Harry Potter was anti-Christian and was causing it's readers to also be anti-Christian.
*FACE PALM*
I thought perhaps it was my fault, I hated debating, so I should have known better than to bring Harry Potter and religion up in the same context.
So I explained, it wasn't Harry Potter that caused me to turn away from my protestant roots, to believing simply in the power of love. I basically believe in the same things your run of the mill Christian does - love everyone, love yourself, help those that need your help, be a good person, etc.
So, I explained without crying (which had been known to happen when I debated) how Harry Potter wasn't anti-Christian (the whole celebrating Christmas and Easter always caused people to shut their mouths).
And Harry Potter didn't suddenly cause me to lose faith in Christianity. My own brain did. And it wasn't like I went around trying to curse people (though I had been known to use the Cruciatis curse on a teacher [in my head] a fair few times).
Lucky for me, there weren't any serious anti-Harry Potter supporters in my class (though the girl reading her copy of Eclipse across the room shot me dirty looks every now and again. Silly Twinerds, though I was one myself for a while there).
No full blown debate ensued and people actually respected me for believing in love and good as strongly as I did.
Being a nerd has it's benefits. Sure it gives you a vast knowledge of the force and you learn all about the various types of dragons there are, but that doesn't mean you actually have the emotional constitution to speak to people.
I consider myself a Hufflepuff: I'm very meek, quiet, loyal to a high a degree and quite the coward, but today I was hit with a touch of Gryffindor's bravery - Go me.
BTW: Check out The Harry Potter Alliance and help donate money to Haiti. They've raised about $72,000 for Partners in Health and if they raise another $20,000, they'll charter three planes full of supplies to Haiti and name them "Harry, Ron and Hermione" in honor of the HPA. So, check it out and donate. And if that's not motivation enough then you could also win some pretty cool (nerd) stuff.
Fair Thee Well,
April
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