HUMAN NATURE

The words sound too abstract and distant from the particular way 'geeks' think, interact with the world, and relate to people. The words sound like what a loving mother tells her child to help him think he fits in when he doesn't. It is an affirmation, but it reflects her understanding of her child rather than his understanding of self, or how people look at him.

Geeks (I never liked the word) are particular. They have a focused view of the their work and what is important to them that is vastly different than a free spirit. They are the scientists, the engineers, doctors, and mechanics and inventors who can narrowly focus on a task, and hold conversations and block an entire room out of their minds. Socially awkward they tend to be intense in their thinking about the things that matter the most to them.

Their minds can grasp deep and complicated concepts of physics, science and puzzles and can untangle lines of thought or string with an aplomb unfamiliar to free spirits who don't have that kind of stability of emotions and concentration of thought and steady of hand. Geeks can easily offend people with their self-absorption and attention to details. Their attempts at friendships can be and often are misinterpreted.

The first white friend I had I rescued from being beat up from the gang I was in when I was a boy in the Philippines. I didn't understand Lewis, nor did I initially like him either. The engineer, today, in my Rotary club over the years has shown and taught me a lot of things about engineers and how they process, think and interact. © Gregory E. Woods