confessions of a new-school psuedo-geek...
Oh yes, I will cut you - don't get that twisted.
So I'm talking to this guy I met, about what I do for a living, and my background...college degree, grad student...blah...blah...and he goes:
I see you're booksmart...but you need someone to school you on that street knowledge...
Why he wanna go and say that? Folks get this twisted all the time about geeky people - like we don't still have to live dual lives.
My thoughts on this are...
...I'm still black, living in America, so it should be a given that I have at least some awareness of street knowledge
...My career, while important, doesn't define who I am. I have a life outside of work...
...Just because I can code switch, and am bilingual (fluent in the King's AND Ebonics) doesn't mean I grew up in the 'Burbs...
...ok, so I grew up near the 'Burbs...doesn't mean I didn't get my street education...
...just because I'm semi-calm, and appear even-tempered doesn't mean I don't get pissed off...just means that I know how to handle my temper, but I can (and would, given the right circumstances) cut you...
I had planned on ranting about some things going on in the news, related to this underlying Class war that the country seems to be fighting, and how we're bombarded unknowingly with references that IMHO scream Class-ism. But this got up in my face first.
See, I've been looking at the Class war from one-side: the Haves, who seem to eternally dwell in pointing out their superiority. But this feels like a push-back from the seemingly Have-Nots. Like, I know you can't relate to my existence, because you've tackled the hump & gotten over, so I know you don't know anything about my reality.
So let me back up a bit. I'm a new-school geek. I came to the geeky jawn really late in the game, like '97-99. Way after most folks had at least learned to piss away their work hours in chat. This was after upmteen years in various fields, after I hit a coupla glass ceilings hard enough to crack my skull, and way after I got my street education. I saw folks in IT were chillin, makin enough money to keep themselves plied with cold Pizza and Pop-tarts, and not stressin' over much to get it.
And let's talk about that too. Yes, I know - when people think about computer geeks, an image comes to mind: pasty-white skin, marginal social skills from too many hours spent playing online games, midsection spread from sitting too much, and the resentment they have for their IT support person who tends to get really tired of resetting passwords. REALLY tired. But I digress...
Frankly, I think my geeky friends (wait, if you're reading this, it probably includes you) make geeks look good. Stylish as hell, up on the latest music, fashion, design trends, current events, sports, vacation hotspots, politics, etc. Oh and social? Some of them stay their hot a$$es in the club/at parties. Shyt, they really don't need me to write a press release, so I ain't even gonna bother.
And not for anything, I'm a psuedo-geek: I've had many a "real" geek pull my Ho-card: Oh my God, I know you are not still using Internet Explorer?!! Microsoft products have so many security holes in them, you need to get _______ (Firefox) immediately, and stop using IE, and while you're at it, you're probably going to want to upgrade your firewall...... I'm rarely up on the latest technology, and frankly avoid my desktop when I'm not at work. I know...my psuedo-geekiness is the bane of my geek-existence...
So yeah, I got like 1210 on my SATs (I was high as a kite at the time...shhhhh...) and my IQ is a lil extra. Yeah, I rode the short bus as a child - bussed to my "gifted" program. And yeah, I've never really had my "street credibility" tested, for example, by say being in a fight with a woman. But yeah, I've had a coupla fights with men, and won a coupla times. I've been in jail, had some dealings with street pharmaceuticals (hope that statute of limitations has passed), been homeless, broke, lived in the PJ's, alla that...
...but mostly, I keep thinking that folks are way beyond these non-PC stereotypical definitions of ________-existence (you fill in that blank, Black, urban, street, etc). Quite honestly, I feel a lil silly in trying to address this topic. On the real, do I care if Marky Mark pulled Eminem and Matt Damon's ho-card? Hell no, and I don't really care if you try to pull mine.
As long as you know if you do, I will cut you....
p.s. sometimes these geeky-a$$ IT folks get on my dayum nerves too. shh...don't tell nobody...