Identifying One's Own Kind

 I'm going to start this post with an apology to George Carlin.

I love his comedy. He was a brilliant and funny guy.

The issue at hand is his reasoning, as he wore only completely black outfits was because he didn't want to be a walking billboard. And I do agree with his reasoning and the truth of it. It was his way of expressing himself and I will always applaud that.

I myself have no problem with being a walking billboard as long as it is for something I have a passion for. It is how I choose to express myself, having my interests on display for others to see. I personally believe that is actually a healthy thing to do and would encourage everyone to do that for whatever their passions are.

Time to make your guesses as to my reasoning.

Being as geeky as I am, I have lots of geeky T-shirts and wear them regularly and have found them to be great for getting fans of the same things I like, to interact with. Most of my shirts seem to catch people's attention and get a direct reaction a fair amount of the time.

I would say that the T-shirts alone has helped me bond with countless total strangers quickly and have had so many pleasant exchanges with them regarding our shared interest.

If you know me, then you know I am not the best when it comes to being social. It is not that I dislike being social, it is just aspect of my overall awkwardness. And there are many others out there with even bigger social issues and awkwardness far worse than mine. Wearing our t-shirts is a perfect way to counter that awkwardness, with openly expressing our interests.

I'm no expert, but I would say it is connected to our tribal past. Wearing marks that show your tribal allegiance attract others of your tribe to you. We have a basic survival instinct to desire to surround ourselves with those of our own tribe, where we have safety in numbers. With how many of us geeky types are on the introverted side of things, that becomes a great tool to start a conversation and get the connection started.

So, my conclusion is that being a walking billboard is a survival instinct that we greatly benefit from.

I am going to keep wearing my t-shirts and be a walking billboard.

My stand-alone short story ‘A Night at the Club’, a story about playing an otherworldly game, is out for your enjoyment.

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