*get your dork on.

So I have a theory. You could call it a theory on love, or on friendship, or just life in general. The theory: we are all just dorks. . . dorks meandering through this crazy world searching for our own kind. I know it sounds a wee bit asinine but hear me out as I try to explain.




In my quest to fully understand the levels at which “dork” effects our life, I went searching for a definition. Webster really didn’t have one from what I could gather. The noun in question seems to have originated in the year 1967, perhaps as an alteration to the word “dick,” with the most likely meaning being nerd. . . or jerk. Ummmmm, Webster, those two words are kind of polar opposites, in fact the jerk is usually making the nerd’s life miserable. Thanks for nothing Web. So then I moved on to urbandictionary.com. As much as I love urban dictionary, I never really expected to find the exact definition I was looking for. With 2,808 thumbs up and only 383 thumbs down, I am apparently not alone in my thinking.

1. Dork: Someone who has odd interests, and is often silly at times. A dork is also someone who can be themselves and not care what anyone thinks.
You are such a dork.

Society teaches us to fear that sentence, “you are such a dork.” As though being branded a dork was a fate worse than death. Maybe it stems childhood . . . when the only people who acted silly and didn’t care what other people thought and had weird interests were, in fact the nerds and geeks . . . But looking back, you can’t help but feel a little envious of those geeks. While everyone else was busy trying to mold themselves to some type of cliché, they were so happy making jokes about physics, playing D & D, completely unaware of the social constructs that are high school. Sure, sometimes they might have longed for more acceptance, but over all the were content and blissfully ignorant of the passing years of social awkwardness. Maybe these geeks and nerds were onto something.

As I continue through life, I’m starting to notice something. Everyone, no matter how cool they pretend to be, has some varying degree of inner dork-ness. Some people are very proud of their dork and wear it on their sleeve for all to see. Others are afraid of their dork, maybe believing it will be a detriment to their character. Having been called a dork on many occasions, I realized that never once was it said with distain but actually with a smile and usually a laugh. How can this be? Is it possible that the dork connects us? Am I dork? Are my friends? Is it hereditary?

Thinking back upon the many relations I have had and the many hilarious moments that have ensued, I would have to say the dork factor was pretty high. As I exam my family and dearest friends. . . silly would be putting them lightly. The wonderful people that fill my life usually have one thing in common, laughter. . . usually stemming from general silliness which makes even the dullest situation quite comical and worthwhile. From laughing hysterically to point of crying over the implications of the “vaganus” to discovering the correlation of “hardware stores to tool level” ratio (a home depot being a someone you might actually consider dating, ace hardware being the train wreck in cowboy hat hitting on anything that moves) to the shortbags that wanna take you out for a nit (cross between a nut and a tit). Yes, none of these things might make sense to you but I’m laughing uncontrollable! We also share common odd interests (sci-fi action movies, dive bars and good beers, smoothies, awkward comedies, spontaneity, just to name a few). The couples whose relationships I most admire have these same endearing qualities. Wonderful people, who are amazing on their own but whose synergistic effect produces nonstop laughter, sharing those same strange interests (mountain biking, nuns, pathophysiology, who knows, but they love it). These are the kind of people. . . family and friends, that make you smile just to be around them. The kind of dorky people I always want in my life.

Then there are those who deny their inner dork. How shameful. Granted there are definitely people I have in mind as I write this, but still, it’s kind of sad. They take life so seriously, hardly laughing, worrying about what other people think. It’s hardly a way to live. Its disheartening and really unattractive. They seem empty inside because without your dork. . . what do you have?

So yes I am a dork, and proud of it. To all my dorks, I may never understand how you love spinning that much, or your unhealthy obsession with George, or how you could possible get that excited over Indian food. . . or maybe I do get it. But nevertheless, you don’t have to change a thing for anyone.

Now lift that dork flag and wave it for all to see because your dork is just perfect the way it is.