The Force Within

Alright, no spoilers I promise. Thursday night my excitement for the new Star Wars film had reached its zenith, and when the opening notes of John Williams' iconic music sounded, you better believe my nerdy heart soared. I am a total Star Wars fan, my love for the series only ever grows. Nerd, geek, whatever you want to call it- I am not ashamed to say I am a capital F Fan.

Some people love science, others video games, Jane Austen, comic books, Harry Potter-- what have you. Many of us who fail to conceal our enthusiasm end up being teased for daring to be so jazzed about whatever we have latched onto. I get giddy over a wonderful celluloid 1940's brooch, museum galleries often take my breath away, and I love love me some Star Wars.

“…because nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff… Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can’t-control-yourself love it...when people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is ‘you like stuff.’ Which is just not a good insult at all. Like, ‘you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness’.”

-John Green

Why be ashamed of your joy? Embrace something so simple as getting excited for a new film or a new book. In this often terrifying and disheartening world we live in, why chastise someone for feeling joy? Professional nerds agree, it is pretty damn awesome to know what you love- and forget about being shy about it.

"Read books. Care about things. Get excited. Try not to be too down on yourself. Enjoy the ever present game of knowing."

-Hank Green

"The substance of what it means to be a geek is essentially someone who's brave enough to love something against judgment. The heart of being a geek is a little bit of rejection."

-Felicia Day

"Don’t let anyone tell you that the thing that you love is a thing that you can’t love. Don’t let anyone ever tell you, “You can’t love that. That’s for boys.” You find the things that you love, and you love them the most that you can."

-Wil Wheaton

“Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It’s basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating.”

-Simon Pegg

I guess I just wanted to take the opportunity today to tell you that being a nerdy is pretty awesome this week, but also every week. Remember joy can be rare, embrace it when it arrives. Whether it is a new 1930's straw hat, or a new Star Wars film, never be ashamed to be unironically excited. Keep reading, keep researching obscure topics for fun (you do that too right?), keep reblogging that most excellent fan art, and most of all keep loving- the more love the better, in all its forms.