021.5 Freak the Geek

Dear Quibbles,
I agree with John Green about the situation he mentioned. It's not the girls' fault that their bullies think that they aren't good enough, or cool enough, or too geeky. The fact that they care enough to say things like that portrays how they might feel about themselves. They thing they need to do this to remain popular or to get people to like them, etc. That's their problem that they feel this way, and dislike people for being themselves. Sure, there are a good amount of people I dislike, for no good reason at all, because they just aren't my kind of people. I, however, don't make mean comments towards them or bully them.

I sort of believe that if I don't like someone for who they are, it is my fault. This is due to the fact that I think that if I could see everyone, or just a couple strangers, for who they really are, almost all of them are worthy of my love or liking, you know what I mean. Everyone has people who love them, and everyone has flaws. Perhaps behind every bully is a really insecure little boy or girl, or behind a terrorist is someone whose family was shot and killed (for being terrorists), leaving him scarred and angry. It's seeing past the flaws and accepting them that really constitutes love. There are some horrible people out there, with horrible flaws that can't or should not be accepted. Some people can't be helped, but I truly believe that if you show someone you care they will eventually be willing to let you in. Showing that you care, you can help them fix the bad, and replace it with good. We throw criminals into jail without getting them what they really need. Support, therapy, a caring community. The government virtually throws them in an extended time out, which isn't effective. They throw them away without trying to fix them, they don't show they care. Too easily we give up on people. Maybe this is me being an optimist, but really, "love is all you need."

Okay, sorry, this took a really big turn, but let me know what you think, Quibbles!

Love always,
- Nargles 8//11/14

021 Freak the Geek

So you all know about John Green. Or most of you do. If you don't know who he is, check out our Book Corners page and you will see pretty much all of his books. And after that, you can click on our links page and there are three links dedicated to him.

He's known for his writing because he speaks the truth, he has quirky, unique, and lovable characters, and he has a fantastic sense of humor. In The Fault in Our Stars, he swells up our hearts and make us love and adore the characters... and then proceeds to stomp on them (both our hearts and the characters) with the heel of a stiletto. In fact, John Green describes Hazel describing Augustus's cancer as "a one-legged fat man wearing a stiletto heel standing on the middle of his chest". But you and I know this isn't true. It isn't John, or Hazel, or Augustus that's being described. It's those of us stupid enough to open the book, fail to realize that the book could blow our feelings apart, and keep on reading to the end. And I am one of those people.

In any case, here's a quote I found from one of his lesser known works, a short story called "Freak the Geek" from an anthology of short stories called Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd. It's about two girls in a private school: a geeky, shy girl named Lauren (the narrator) and a geeky, not-shy girl named Kayley, her best friend. The ritual at their school is for the the popular kids to "freak the geek", or, in other words, massively prank the girl(s) they find the geekiest. Lauren and Kayley are 'freaked' by a paintball war in which (surprise surprise) they are not the ones wielding the guns. As they run into the woods and hide under a bridge, Kayley sort of blows up on Lauren by telling her that the reason they're running from their own classmates and considered the two least liked girls in the entire school is because Lauren is "meek". Lauren responds by telling her the following:

You know, you're a total know-it-all. And it's incredibly rude sometimes; I mean, you're not perfect either, and you act like it's my fault but it's not my fault for being quiet or your fault for being a know-it-all. It's not your problem or my problem; it's their problem. They're the demented ones, not us, so don't take it out on me, because the only thing that holds anything together for me is having someone else on the Not Demented Team.
(Lauren to Kayley)

- John Green, "Freak the Geek", Geektastic

This quote sort of intrigues me. Because it's interesting to think that being the way you are isn't your fault if someone doesn't like it. It's their fault for thinking that way. Me, I don't think any opinion can be wrong or right, and I really don't think an opinion can be someone's fault, but it's an interesting thought to consider.

- Quibbles 8/7/14

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