The term "geek" has been a blanket term that has taken on a positive connotation in the recent decade or so. If you're around my age (33), then you clearly remember a time when being referred to as a geek, much like Screech from "Saved By The Bell," was not something you wanted to be called. Now, it's totally cool.
However, it's still a phrase that is confused with other things. I've proudly determined that I am a geek, and I'm cool with that, but when people call me a nerd, I correct them. I say I'm a geek. A nerd, which still may be a negative label to some, refers to a person who more is into regular books, maybe not of the comic variety, but most notably book smart.
I'm not saying I don't like being called a nerd. I just don't feel appropriate being labeled something I feel like I'm not. And that's where the title comes in. I've been called a manchild in recent months, or even in the recent year, and I said ok, yeah sure, I am. However, I did a bit of research, and no, I'm not a manchild.
You know who is a perfect epitome of a manchild? Pee-Wee Herman. Paul Reubens' alter ego is an immature soul who has a play room to match his childish nature. Yeah, he has a house, but his biggest ambitions are to have his non motorized bike back or a huge party with that guy from True Blood.
He's fictional, but the true nature of Pee-Wee's persona is that his life goals are not rooted in a societal reality. I worked within the system to find a good job. I have deep conversations with my girlfriend (I have one of those!) about life, the future, and all the trimmings and trappings. Yes, I like superheroes, comics, Funko pops, and legos (we are scratching the surface here), but I pay my bills, I make adult choices, and hell, I'll even clean the dishes and cook. Yeah, sometimes I don't want to do it, but I do, because even though I like kid stuff, and a lot of my possessions are kid stuff, I do not go outside the lines of life to make sure my childish nature takes on other aspects of my life.
Being a manchild is not something I would address myself as. It means I can't really take care of myself, that someone else does. I'd like to think that I'd do fine if I was in the scenario of being on my own. Sure, I might not dispose of a pizza box right away after I devour the slices, but eventually, it'll make its way to the trash.
As I said before, I am a proud geek, and I definitely have no issues stating that I am. I'm not here to insult anyone, and hopefully, I didn't. The point of this article is me just saying I like what I am, what I love, no matter what. Yes, I may require some change, but ultimately, it's for the best. The same train of thought can apply to everyone else!
