Nerd Fest

Tonight I stand in protest. My young single adult ward here in Portland is hosting its annual "Nerd Fest." It is a heinous activity in which participants are asked to dress and act like nerds and gather at the local cultural hall to share their theories about Harry Potter, games of tetherball, "tots," and all those things you "love to do in secret but never admit in public." My roommate suggested that as long as that is the theme, I should bring along a few issues of Playboy. Ok, maybe not.

But I really have a hard time with things like this. Call me insecure. Call me prideful. Call me what you will. But I refuse to dress like a nerd to go meet people and make friends. Isn't the mission of a singles ward to help the members not be members of the singles ward anymore? Oh, I can just hear the testimonials now: "Steve and I were sitting across from each other in the circle postulating about Anakin. He also thought he balanced the force to fill the prophecy known by all the Jedi. I had never met someone who was on the same wavelength as me about things like that. And then when he shoved his glasses up and scrunched his nose at me, I knew it was meant to be."

I personally do not intend to masquerade about pretending to know anything about Star Wars. If there is masquerading to do, it better make me look better than I do normally - not worse. And so I stand in protest. Are you with me?


P.S. I just posted a photo from graduation under "commencement" if you want to have a lookie-lookie. :)