Geek Culture and Disability Culture -- what's the connection?

[capri0mni]

Two years and one month ago, I wrote the following in this space:

I was going to go on, and write further about geekery and disability. But this has taken up too much space-time already.

... and promptly forgot to post a follow-up. I only found it again because I was trying to remember what I'd said about hipsters vs. geeks. I've been puzzling till my puzzler is sore, trying to remember what I'd thought 25 months ago.

When I've had a thought and lost it, or a thought that's gone fuzzy, usually the best way to find it again is through poetry, rather than prose...

It's been a while since I've written a poem for a poem's sake...

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

I'll be ready to read it!

[capri0mni]

I just realized the other day that the 15th word "Gek," from whence "Geek" evolved, was originally an insult against those with intellectual disabilities. And when I was a teenager in the 1970's, the term for someone who's socially awkward & easily excited about certain subjects (i.e. a geek) was "Spaz"... from "Spastic." Also, yesterday, while first contemplating this poem, I came upon this article from 2006, comparing the use of "Spaz" in Britain and America: Language Log: A Brief History of the Word "Spaz.".

So that's something. Also, IME, there is a higher-than-average proportion of geeks in the disability community than in the general population (that could be skewed, though, because I am. a geek, and attract geeks -- or it could be because our population has fewer jocks... or, there could be some quintessential geeky quality about being disabled).

Shrug.

[smw]

Re: disability in the geek community, I can see the social isolation many disabled folks experience as youngsters resulting in energy otherwise used for socializing being funneled into interest in solo activities—most of which are geeky, yes?

Re: the poem, ooh. I am always interested in your creative work.

[capri0mni]

...the social isolation many disabled folks experience as youngsters ... being funneled into interest in solo activities-most of which are geeky...

Indeed. Now, this is veering away from the realm of poetry into the sciences, but it makes me curious about the age-of-onset factor. Are people who become disabled at birth or in early childhood more geeky than those who become disabled as adults. And do the newly disabled adults were not geeks to begin with (such as the athlete who suffers a broken spine) ever learn to become geeks, out of necessity (see jesse_the_k's reply, below)? Or are they the ones who can't become geeks, and end up putting their life on hold until they "overcome their disability" and become "inspirational" figures in popular culture?

Another thing about growing up physically disabled that helps one grow up geek: when you do socialize with friends, your play is more likely to be games of the imagination and the intellect, than chasing each other around open fields, or clambering up trees, which is definitely geeky.

[jesse_the_k]

I think the geek-tendency is all the things you mention, plus:
- for those of us who use assistive tech, geekiness is needed to get it right
- for those of us who interact with doctors, geekiness is needed to get it right
- I guess in general we are a low-incidence style; we need to dig deeper to understand and be understood re: our physical/emotional stuff
- for those of us who by necessity spend time in low-activity states (Nebraska?) geekiness is an answer to boredom.

I also like the geekiness of this question.

[capri0mni]

All these are good points, and also help boost the idea that I'm not just imagining it...

"I also like the geekiness of this question."

*bows* Meta- for the win!