Con Artist - Part I

So, this week, I will be going to my very first Comic Con. I'm not ashamed to admit: I. am. terrified.

For the first time in my life, I'm worried that I'm not geeky enough. As my friend, Riker*, said "I'm worried about being ostracized for being a 'tourist.'" I assured her this was not the case, and didn't tell her that I have the same fear.

Recently, someone said that she told her friend that I am a Trekkie. Her friend responded with "What's her knowledge base?" And there it is. I'm worried that I'm not really a Trekkie, but just the Trek version of Idiot Nerd Girl. What happens if I fail the test that is put before me to determine my level of geekdom?

But then, how do we define who is, and who isn't officially a fan? Are there varying degrees of fandom? Do you have to know, word for word, every line from every episode of every Star Trek series to be considered a Trekkie? Where do I apply for Trek certification? Isn't the fact that I'm willing to declare "I am a Trekkie" enough?

I realized that bullies are everywhere, even in the geek community. There are always going to be people who try to make you doubt yourself in order to make themselves feel better. I can ignore them in other aspects of my life, so I just need to ignore them in ALL aspects of my life. Besides, anyone who truly "gets" Star Trek, knows about the Prime Directive, which states that Starfleet is not to interfere with the natural development of any culture. So, anyone who would judge me as not geeky enough would essentially be trying to interfere with my personal development, and would thus be violating the Prime Directive themselves.

This is why I love Riker, in spite of the fact that she cannot choose between Star Trek, and Star Wars. "I like them both," she admitted one day, embarrassed that she could not reach my level of commitment to the Trek. And even though I have clearly chosen to follow the Prime Directive instead of using the Force, I respect the Jedi and all that they stand for. And if all the Trekkies stick to the Prime Directive, and all the Jedi respect the Force,  then there really is no conflict over which series is better, or who is the bigger geek. I think there's room for us all at the Comic Con. Even the tourists.


*I'll call her Riker, 'cause she's my "Number One" best friend.