Some people seem to think that I'm extremely well adjusted. Of course, the better people get to know me, the more abundantly clear it becomes that this is not the case. I do know that even though I'm much more well-adjusted now then I ever was in high school, and I still struggle to talk to people. I am (and have been for the majority of my life) a complete nerd. It kind of baffles me that people don't always immediately recognize it, because it's not like I make a ritual of hiding it. Consider, if you will, the following evidence:
1) When I was a little kid, my parents would buy my brothers beyblades/action figures as rewards for good behavior. My favorite reward was when she bought me books, particularly the ones with try-it-yourself science experiments.
2) Instead of putting a spoiler on my Chevrolet Cavalier to make me feel sportier driving it, I listen to "Driving with the Top Down" from the Iron Man movie sound track because it makes me feel like I'm in an action movie. Also, it's my favorite movie score.
3) I enrolled in calculus in 12th grade just because I was bored and wanted a challenge. And then I had fun being in the class.
4) When I was in elementary school, I was a pretty advanced reader for my age, so I often had to self-censor my speech so that my friends and siblings could understand me.
5) Movies based on comic books are my guilty pleasure...except after I've seen them more than three times and start to think about why whatever they're depicting could never happen. Usually the reasons I come up with relate to science principles in some way.
6) I currently have audiobook versions of 18 Edgar Allen Poe stories and poems downloaded onto my iPod. I intend to work my way through his complete works by the end of this calendar year.
7) I never thought I'd admit it to anyone, let alone to whoever may read it on the Internet, but I actually quite like school.
8) The first emotion I always feel after getting out of school for the summer is boredom.
9) I've only been asked out once, and it was by an immature guy in my class who thought it would be funny/impress his friends if he asked me out ironically. I rejected him, so hopefully his friends didn't give him too hard a time...although, if they did, it was most certainly his own fault. I'm not sorry.
10) I remember once hearing a rumor that the teachers were going to go on strike. It worried me (which was, in itself, a red flag), so when the school started giving out old math textbooks, I was one of the only kids (unsurprisingly) to take one, thinking I could keep up at home.
11) The last "for fun" book I read was a social commentary on people's search for authenticity.
12) Braces? Had 'em. Glasses? Still wear them. Also, I fit the tall-and-skinny stereotype to a T.
I plead guilty on all counts. But I have no intention of reforming myself of any of it. :)
Number four totally describes most of my life. I was reading Nancy Drew (and better, plus dictionaries for fun) in second grade. In contrast, I have ten-year-old cousins who struggle reading words like 'sweater.'
ReplyDeleteEven now, I find it really annoying to talk to people whose spoken vocabulary stops at large words like 'watched.' I feel bad avoiding them, but it's really irritating to have to define every other word I speak with a vocabulary limited to like 1,000 words. (That and I feel like I'm making them feel stupid, then I feel bad about that too...)
Good post though. Another idea I might steal from you someday... :-)
It never really annoyed me so much as it made me a bit self conscious because I never really tried to use difficult words, it just happened. I eventually just learned to not use bigger words when smaller ones will do and it solved most of my problems in that department.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, go ahead. It's not like I haven't also helped myself to some of yours...
I don't try to use difficult words either, but every time I say something I have to define it, and it's really frustrating when they ask you to define your definition because they've never heard of those words either... Sometimes I can't help thinking 'how have you lived fifteen/twenty/thirty/fifty years and never have run into this word before?'
ReplyDeleteMostly though, I run into problems because my brain is apparently wired to think 'why use the generic 'lame' when you can be more specific (without adding extra words) by saying 'imbecile?''