Waving My Geek Flag

Why yes, I did drag my thirteen year old daughter to the movie with me this weekend to see Batman vs Superman.

Yes, it was great fun and we did both wear shirts with Superman insignia (Alyssa’s actually had Superman AND Batman, she was the winner that day.)

The day before we went to the movie, we did our usual grocery run. I wore a different Superman shirt that day. Yes, I have WAY more than one. Whatever.

For the past year or so, Lyss has pointed out that I bring out the friendly in people. I talk to the cashier, the deli person, the dude restocking the tomatoes. I’ve got a friendly face, apparently.

While checking out, our cashier noticed the awesome S on my shirt and mentioned the movie coming out. He asked if we’d seen it yet.

I replied that we hadn’t, since, you know, it was released THAT DAY. But, I continued, we hoped to see it soon.

The cashier informed me that the woman who plays Wonder Woman is the only woman in the entire movie. Hmmmm…that’s not actually true. Just saying. Sure, there were more male characters but then, when isn’t that true?

Then, as he continued to scan my groceries, we discussed the ridiculousness of Batman even thinking for a minute that he could take on Superman. Though I did point out that if Batman managed to forge a weapon out of Kryptonite, well then he stood a slightly better chance.

Then our groceries were all scanned and bagged and it was time for us to go. I bid our friendly checker farewell and the girls and I found my mom a couple of lanes over and headed to the car…where a dude who was gathering carts caught sight of my shirt and again, I found myself discussing the movie and it’s potential.

When I finally got in the car, shutting the door as this young man was STILL talking, I found my mom and Alyssa laughing. (By the way, I really did try to actually END the conversation with this fellow before closing my car door. But he didn’t get from my, ‘Okay then, nice talking to you, bye’ that the conversation was over on my end.)

Alyssa informed me, “I’m telling Dad that you flirted with the cart guy and the cashier today!”

I rolled my eyes and reminded her, “Be sure and tell him that both of those guys started the conversations, not me.”

As I pulled the car out of its parking space, I continued, “Oh, and don’t forget to tell Dad that those dudes were both maybe twenty years old, so yeah, no threats there.”

“You bring out the friendly in people,” Alyssa said.

Which…aww. That was actually really sweet thing to say.

I thanked her and then pointed out, “The friendly and the geeky. It’s probably kind of sad these dorky, twenty-something guys are sort of my people, isn’t it?”

My mom and Lyssie laughed at me. I think they enjoy my geekiness, my ability to find solidarity with other geeks in the world.

I guess this means I’ll keep on wearing my Superman shirts, talking about all the geeky things and smiling ruefully when I have to close my car door just to end the conversation with a socially awkward dude who is just happy to have someone who even sort of gets him.