Pens, cassette players, toys, small gadgets. None of these were safe from me when I was a child. I've always been fascinated by the way things work, so I've always been a take-apart kind of person. Getting them back together with no pieces left over is another thing entirely.
I've always been the one to choose the road less traveled, preferring to make my own path. When other kids in my class were watching The Brady Bunch, my cousins and I were acting out scenes from Star Trek, Lost in Space, and Space: 1999. Then there was Dr. Who in high school (and now), and the list goes on.
Ever since I was very young, I've been a DIY geek. My mother and grandmother taught me how to knit, crochet, and do other needle work when I was about 5 years old. I don't think I had one store-bought article of clothing until I went to Catholic school. I grew up to love crafts; and now I'm into scrapbooking, card making, and all manner of paper crafts and jewelry.
I was an English teacher for 13 years, and even among my teaching colleagues I was usually the odd one out. I believed (and still do) that children should be encouraged to be independent thinkers, always asking questions and not accepting that something is the truth simply because someone in "authority" says it's so. Radical thinking for a Catholic school teacher, huh? I always told my students that my ultimate goal was to get them to the point at which they would no longer need me. Unheard of!
Then I married a Geek, who became a GeekDad to our two GeekKids, and I ultimately became a GeekMom. It was inevitable, I guess.
Right now I'm writing for several blogs (including my own) and scrapbooking/stamping sites. I've also been a member of numerous design teams and taught art workshops and classes. I still encourage others to be independent thinkers and color outside the lines. I still encourage those around me to believe in themselves – especially my husband and children, and on occasion myself.
Oh, and I still take things apart too. If my Blackberry could talk... Umm, yeah, I think I've voided that warranty several times over. I'm looking forward to working with this diverse, intriguing, and stimulating group of women known as GeekMom. Live long and prosper.
