The Po Show

Geek Love

This was supposed to be posted the day after Valentine's Day, but as usual I'm behind schedule. That's the problem with me and topical writing; by the time I get around to sitting down and writing it out, ummm, not so topical anymore.

Anyway, VDay was nice. I have greatly reduced my expectations of Valentine's Day, not just since having kids, but since living too far away from family who could come and babysit while Ross and I went out to dinner. After Matthew was born, VDay and our anniversary became the two nights a year we went out to dinner as a couple. Now we have some nice stuff from Whole Foods at home and hope the kids let us eat in peace.

Ross came home with a beautiful bunch of tulips on Friday night (since flowers go WAY up in price closer to VDay. I'm totally okay with that). He got me a book (which didn't arrive till the day after VDay, but that was no problem) and cards from himself and the kids. I personally feel that VDay is for couples, so I don't get him cards from the kids. I gave him a tie ($4.99 at Banana Republic!) and a box of Choxie. And a card, which prompts this post.

On the front of the card is a huge blackboard with a million lines of calculations, with two geeky guys standing in front of it. One says, "And that, in simple terms, is the secret to love."

I loved this card. Inside, I wrote something to the effect of (I'm too damn lazy to get up off my butt and go see exactly what I wrote) "Geek love is the best kind of love, and I'm fortunate to have found the best of the best in you."

As I was writing it, I suddenly got a little concerned that he might find this slightly insulting. "Hey, you're the biggest geek I could find!" But that's totally not what I meant. Well, actually in a way it is, and it's a good thing.

I love geeks. I love witty, self-deprecating, slightly ascerbic geeky men more than any other kind of men in the world. You can keep your hunked up, pretty Brad Pitt types. Sure, they're nice to look at, but for a man you want to spend your life with, on a day to day basis for fifty or more years, give me a geek.

Geeks come to you with a past that has contained a lot of personal hurt. Geeks went through high school having girls tell them how wonderful they were "as friends." Geeks watched the pretty boys get the girls, trash the girls, and have more girls waiting in line. Geeks knew they could do better by those girls, but usually weren't given the chance. Geeks have so much love in their hearts, and want to give it, and when you finally give them the chance, oh my god, and that love is unbounded, geeks make you feel like the most loved person on earth.

My unwritten novel (the idea has incubated in my brain for about 7 years now) is called "Geeks Don't Leave." Sure, I know there are plenty of geeks out there who've loved, and then left, but I'm here to testify that mine has stayed. And I love him with passion and gratitude and fresh, open ardor.