When I (Kurt) was in middle school, people used a machine called a “word processor.” It was the computer of the 1970s because the computer, as we know it today, wasn’t around yet. But my family couldn’t afford a word processor, so I grew up using something called a “hand.” That’s right—handwriting was actually cool back in the day.
Even today, I know very little about computers. (I know just about enough to type this paragraph.) What IS a megabyte, or a gigabyte, or a take-a-byte, anyway?
There are tons of middle school students who know all there is to know about computers. They may even know some stuff there isn’t to know. They know the latest software and hardware; they know why a PC is better for doing some things, while a Mac is better for doing others. You might call these kinds of people “computer geeks.”
So how can a non-geek relate to a geek?
Show an interest in their world. We all love to talk about the things we enjoy doing. I love to surf! When a person asks me about surfing, I can talk to them all day about the ins and outs and the short and long boards of surfing. I guess you can call me a “surf geek.” Whether the geek loves computers, video games, or surfing, they usually love to show others what they know. So the next time you need help with your laptop, ask your school’s computer geek. He’d probably love to help you, and you might just learn something new!
Realize you have more in common than you think. Like I said earlier, I’m a surf geek. And, if you think about it, we’re all geeks at something. What do you love? Do you love Star Wars and know everything about Princess Leia? You just might be a Star Wars geek. Do you always have to have the latest and best “do-it-all” cell phone? You just might be a cell-phone geek. We may look different on the outside, but on the inside we all have a little geek in us.
Just because others aren’t into the same stuff you are, that doesn’t make them geeks. Middle schoolers love to label the people they view as being a little less cool as “geeks” or “nerds” because it helps them feel better about themselves. Do you want to feel better about yourself? One way is to recognize that God made you the way he did for a reason, and he did the same thing with all the kids at your school you consider geeky.