Talk Nerdy To Me, Brandon Ezell

Nerd.

It's funny how four letters have helped shape and define me. In high school, it was used by my friends to help me seem approachable. "Brandon’s a big ol’ Nerd. He collects comics and reads a lot." They never meant it as an insult, but it did separate me.

So first, I guess I should give you some information if you don't know me. I'm six foot four inches tall. I've competed in strength sports in five states, and I've played every sport there is. In football, I was utterly ruthless and violent as a defensive end. In basketball, I was clumsy and slow but a deceptively agile defender. In baseball, I was comfortable slamming home runs and playing ferocious outfield. In rugby, I'm very talented as a prop in the scrum driving against a horde of other players. In powerlifting, I have benched 395, squatted 655, and deadlifted 600. In my beloved boxing, I was a fierce counter puncher with great timing that led me to an amateur career of 18-0-1 with 16 knockouts.

 I love sports. I love physical violence and competition. I am overly competitive and too aggressive for my own good. I'm sure my brothers and my fiancée can all attest to this. In all these athletic endeavors, I was guided by simple principles: Fight hard. Never quit. Win with honor, honesty and humility; lose with grace, and learn from each defeat. If that sounds like Captain America wisdom, that's because it is:

 I was a Nerd.

 I was a Nerd that played sports, read every day, and collected comics. I was all of these things, but for a long time the nerd side stayed locked away only to be seen by my tiny group of friends.

Until recently, being a Nerd wasn't cool. It meant outsider, it meant different, and I felt different. I even felt isolated, like I never had someone who was quite as into things as I was. This was before the superhero movie became its own genre, before geek became chic. Now there is an entire Facebook group brimming with like-minded individuals. If you looked at me on the street you'd never see nerd. Maybe you'd see boots and jeans, or sleeveless shirts and gym shorts. I've been told I don't look, sound, or seem like a Nerd; but that was all by people who don't identify as Nerd. The shirts I wear are almost universally sports or Nerd related (in fact I have several Nerd gym shirts), and I find myself much more comfortable spending Saturday nights exploring dungeons and fighting dragons than sitting at a sports bar. I think for me, that's what I love about Nerd: It's inclusive. Usually, our D&D table consists of an oil refinery safety manager, a collegiate athletic trainer, an aspiring restaurant manager, a theologian, and myself -an aspiring police officer. We laugh, we talk, and we have fun. They accept the gym rat because the gym rat is Nerd. We all are.

Interestingly enough, I’ve seen all walks of life represented in Nerdom. The poor, rich, religious, atheist, and anything in between can be found in comic shops and gaming shops every week. So, Nerd for me has taken on a new meaning in recent years. Nerd means acceptance. We may never agree on DC vs Marvel, Avengers vs X-Men, Sega vs Nintendo; but we do agree that being Nerd is who we are. Being Nerd is what brought our friends into our lives. Being Nerd brings us joy, and as far as I’m concerned that’s the very best part of being Nerd.

I’m assuming if you are reading this it’s because you are a part of Talkin’ Nerdy. If I don’t know you personally, then that’s a shame because I’m willing to bet we have some common ground. Even if we don’t, I’m sure we could have a conversation about our differences that would be both enjoyable and enlightening. That’s a key part of Nerd Culture I’ve found. It’s a safe place for everyone involved. People can get rude, get defensive, get angry; but those are the minority. The overwhelming majority of Nerds I know (and having worked in a comic shop that’s a vast majority) are polite, courteous, and engaging.

So for starters, Nerd means accepting people, but it also means so much more. It means friends, Cons, car rides spent listening to musicals, late night conversations about the ramifications of fictional stories, and of course it means fun. However, as the group grows and everyone makes new friends and finds their own voices, it should also mean one thing above all else: Safety. On this blog, in this group, and especially walking up to me in public, it will always mean you are safe. Safe to be loud and obnoxious. Safe to be as excited as you want about whatever you want. Sure, I may not share that particular fandom, but I appreciate and encourage the enthusiasm.

So, use this forum to expand your Nerd Network. Use it to broaden your horizons. Use it to safely express your excitement at being Nerdy, and know that that’s exactly what nerds around the world are doing. We’re listening and getting into different things.

So for me, Nerd means accepted, Nerd means having a place. Most importantly, Nerd means having really cool friends. Because, hey, everyone needs a team. So from the guy lifting weights while wearing a Colossus T-shirt, “Welcome.”

 As Greg says, “You’re safe here.”