I have been absent for a long time.
I have no explanation for the above, but it's often weird when a person who has been absent for a long time suddenly returns without a single mention of his absence.
That being said,
I have been absent for a long time.
I've got that off my chest now. What was I going to talk about?
Oh, yeah.
There are two words in this beautiful and convoluted language of ours which I believe are both overused and misused. These two (seen below) are:
Nerd
and
Obsessed.
I shall begin with a scrupulous, over-analytical discussion of the word "nerd."
If you watch popular television/movies/etc., it may be easy to discern that the word "nerd" is used often as a derogatory synonym for the word "virgin," and vice versa, where there is nothing (emphasis on "nothing") wrong (emphasis on "wrong") with either.
Here's an example: in the show "Supernatural," Sam Winchester spends an episode snooping through a boy's closet trying to ascertain the character of said boy for his own mysterious reasons. In the aforementioned closet, he is seen observing a Star Wars T-Shirt whereupon he says "Tchah!" and then he says, "Virgin!" in an ill-favored tone.
I don't feel like explaining further, and I am not writing an essay for an English class, so my commentary on the example I have just mentioned consists of the following directions: after you read the example, re-read the preceding thesis and connect the two.
But there is another usage of the word "nerd" which I also find irritating and slightly demeaning. If you spend any time at all on the internet (which you do, otherwise you would not be reading this blog post which is posted, strangely enough, on the internet) you will notice that the word "nerd" is used to separate people who know These 18 Facts About Star Wars from those who don't now These 18 Facts About Star Wars. Even if you know 17 of These 18 Facts About Star Wars, you don't qualify as a nerd, or a "true fan," and therefore your fanship of Star Wars is inadequate, no matter how much you love the story, characters, setting, or theme.
I may be wrong or over-sensitive, but that is the way I feel it is.
If the problem I've perceived does indeed exist, I think I might have a bit of a solution. If we replace the word "nerd" with the word "devotee" we can eliminate the negative/superior connotations attached to it and start with a fresh word which nobody uses, and which therefore doesn't have any negative connotations that I know of. I know what the word "devotee" means, but I forget the precise definition, so I'll provide one for my own amusement below:
dev·o·tee
noun
- a person who is very interested in and enthusiastic about someone or something.
That about covers the word "nerd" as people mean to use it, without any of the derogatory or superior baggage attached. And that's all I have to say about that.
The second word I think is misused and overused is the word "obsessed." If you're like me, you will have learned from your therapist that an "obsession" is an intrusive or unwanted thought that replays in your head until you die. Being "obsessed" is not endearing, pleasant, or fulfilling. It is not fun. It is exhausting. The phrase "I am obsessed with" is not, in my book, synonymous with the phrase "I love," but this is how it is used.
I'd like to suggest, therefore, that people instead use the word "enamored" instead of "obsessed" to describe whatever it is that gives them immense pleasure or passion. For example, instead of saying "I am obsessed with The Lord of the Rings," I like to say, "I am enamored with The Lord of the Rings." Because that is a true statement. Again, I know what the word "enamored" means, but again, I forget the precise definition, so I'll post one below, again, for my own amusement:
en·am·ored
verb
- be filled with a feeling of love for.
I think that's the meaning people are aiming at when the use the word "obsessed."
That's all I have to say about that. Beth out.
Goodbye!
Yours etc.
