NERD CAMP REDUX – Atlanta Skepticamp 2009

When I was in 5th grade, I won the Lt. Governor's Award for Excellence in Writing. I wrote an essay about what I would do if I were invisible, which of course was to travel through Europe (isn't that the dream of ALL 5th graders??) The prize  was a plaque, the respect of my fellow classmates, and a scholarship to the Wofford Summer Program for the Gifted and Talented, both of which I clearly was. In fact, for those of you who haven't met me in the bathroom at a party, my IQ is well over the 120 threshold required for the camp. My emotional IQ however, is probably below that of the contestants on the Flavor of Love.

My first summer at the camp was my first real time away from home. I actually packed to go home a week before camp ended, and slept on the couch. For some reason though, I went back. In fact, I went back for the next four years. And fell deeply, deeply in love. Not with a boy or even with the Wofford College campus, beautiful though it was. I fell in love with being surrounded by people who wanted to KNOW things about the world and the way it works.

I have always been a bit of an outcast, although some would claim it was self-imposed. I won't argue with that, I'm sure it WAS self-imposed. For some reason, I never "got" the kids my age. I liked the wrong things, wore the wrong clothes, and talked the wrong way. For God's sake, I created a Star Trek Fan Club!!  I tried to play along, but I was horrible at it.
Wofford Summer Program was the first time I was surrounded by people who thought like me. Although we did not agree on the end product of our discussions on life, we agreed that the world was worth discussing. The professors, counselors, and fellow campers LIKED to argue and LIKED to think. Of all kinds of things. I felt at home for the first time in my life.

The summer after my 9th grade year was my last time at Wofford Summer Program only because I aged out. I wrote the Director of the Program, and encouraged him to create a "Junior Counselors" Program, but it was to no avail. I was stuck with the masses who misunderstood me for the rest of my life.

When I began listening to Penn Radio in 2006 (due to a very embarassing crush on Penn Jillette), I began to hear the term skeptic tossed around. Skeptics were basically people that used rationality and science as guiding principles in their lives, and required extraordinary evidence for extraordinary claims. Penn had Phil Plait, the Bad Astronmer, on his show to debate Joe Rogan about the Moon Landing (or as Rogan thought of it, the Moon Landing HOAX!). Basically, Phil Plait PWNDED Joe Rogan, and I was hooked. I began reading anything I could get my hands on about science and felt an odd kinship with people who refused to let superstition and tradition rule their lives.

Eventually, thanks to my sister, I ended up at Dragon Con 2008 and was thrilled to meet so many of the people I admired, such as Phil Plait, the Amazing Randi, and DJ Groethe. In fact, I was eating alone one night and invited myself over to eat with ALL of the skeptic presenters. One of the coolest nights ever (after wedding, kids birth, and the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation on September 28, 1987)! The only suggestion I had for next year was that they include a workshop on skeptical parenting, or something about raising rational kids.

Ghandi, who I have yet to name a pet after, said to be the change you seek. So this past weekend, I presented a lecture on Skeptical Parenting at the Atlanta Skepticamp, and had a wonderful time doing so. I got to meet Derek and Swoopy of Skepticality (in fact, I consider Swoopy an image of what I would have hoped to be had I forgone suburban wife/mom route), Maria of Skepchik and Christian, Daphne (who I recognized from Dragon Con), Tim Farley of Whats the Harm, Simon (the wonderful Frenchman who drove even further than me to get there), the Dirty Skeptic (who is just as dirty minded as me!), Andrew, Brian, Adam, Carlos and Taylor, Laura, the Virgin Skeptic, Scott, Jerry,  Stephen King, Joe, and many others I am neglecting (especially you, dude whose handle on Match.com was "Han Shot First"!)

Society is not set up for me. Although Ihave fairly good social skills (at least for a skeptical, atheist, radical feminist) I still walk around 99% of the time thinking in a manner that causes me to alienate friends and family I love on a regular basis. I question everything, and try to make choices in my life based on evidence and rationality instead of tradition of emotion. I am not always successful by any means, but the values of kindness and empathy combined with rationality have put me on a better path in life than any slef-help new age bullshit I embraced in my younger days.

Two months ago my husband and I met with the school psychologist for our oldest son Hollis. After the meeting, my husband turned to me and said "I don't think Hollis has Oppositional Defiant Disorder, but you sure as hell do! I feel as if I have spent the weekend with an entire group of people with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and I mean that in the best way possible! I have always been told to "take it easy", "calm down" or "don't be so serious!" However, at Skepticamp, as with Wofford Summper Program, critical thinking is not only allowed, it is encouraged! Question authority! Demand proof! Curse freely and take the Lord's name in vain at every opportunity!

Each one of us at Skepticamp has had the experience of our interests being deemed boring, perverse, or esoteric in nature. But when surrounded by other nerds, the nerd label ceases to exist. The fear of being a freak dissipates, because not only do they indeed think you are a freak, they embrace it!

My wonderful weekend ended by being surrounded with lovely family in the Palmer household, and having brunch at the Watershed in Decatur with a friend I had not seen in 20 years. A very nerdy, nerdy friend, who married an amazing woman, has an amazing job, and looks amazing. But he is still a nerd, and I love him for it!

I also miss Atlanta desperately.