The geek closest to me

How old is a geek? In our geek-project we have discussed (and collected data on) geekiness in relation to gender, class and ethnicity. However, when we discussed geekiness in popular movies and TV-series a few weeks ago, it was our first conversation about geekiness in relation to age. Geeks in popular culture are mainly young (often featuring in high school movies) and when they are older, are men, or occasionally women, who have been geeks since they were kids (e.g. The Imitation Game, Steve Jobs and Red Joan). And then it struck Maria Berge that she actually has a geek very close to her, her mother.

Why do I define my mother as a geek?

First, she is a great reader. In my childhood I never looked for my mother in the kitchen, I went to look for her in my parents’ bedroom where she always was under the cover in her bed, reading a book. Her reading repertoire is extensive: novels (classics as well as the latest releases), crime stories, non-fiction (mainly history and biology), comic books, science fiction and fantasy. When the Lord of the Rings books were translated into Swedish in 1959 she was the first to buy them and read them (my grandpa was also really keen on them), and she has read them several times since, many times in English. When I asked her why she replied that she reads more slowly in English thus prolonging the nice parts.

Second, she can watch movies over and over again. My mother has really appreciated the present-day possibility to watch movies on her sofa at the same time as knitting. My brothers and I got the Lord of Rings read aloud for us as kids (my father read and my mother listened while knitting), but with her grandkids she is watching movies. And the films she watches with them are geeky indeed: Star Wars, Harry Potter and of course Lord of the Rings. In a normal weekend they can consume eight movies without hesitation. She is even fond of the Lord of the Rings DVD extras, and as these have no subtitles, she translates everything said for the kids. She is not very troubled with age restrictions on the movies (or with discussing these issues with the parents). Since she knows all the movies by heart, she can ask the kids to close their eyes while she fast forwards through the scariest parts (like when a big snake appears from someone’s mouth). Afterwards they discuss the storylines together for ages while drinking Lap Sang tea (my father joins the group at this part of the ritual).

Third, she is not afraid of being different. When she went to upper secondary school, she choose the science track because mathematics is the easiest subject according to her. This was an unusual choice for a girl at that time, and there were only two girls in her class. She is always wearing colourful clothes, often sweaters that she has knitted without following any design or pattern but those in her own head. The same goes for her cooking, never following recipes, interior decorating or her amazing garden where she mixes flowers and vegetables in a very unorthodox way.

So why did I not think of my mother as a geek until now?

Maybe because I have never seen her share these interests with other geeky people of her own age, with the exception of her younger brothers and sister. (Her kids and grandchildren do not really have a choice.)

I called her and asked if she thought of herself as geek. “Oh yeah, I’m geek, I’m a very curious person”. I asked if anyone ever called her such a thing: “never” was the answer. I guess we don’t expect small grey-haired women to identify themselves as geeks.

I remember visiting Science Fiction Bokhandeln with her, a Swedish bookstore where identifying as a geek is a condition for working there. She asked one of the staff for advice of what to read and in the end she bought twelve books. “Is it for the grandchildren?” the cashier asked gently. Apparently she presumed that cute old ladies have other interests. “No, these are for me!” my mother answered proudly, and my father added “she will read them all before this week is over!” before we left the geeky bookstore.