The Nerd Fighter (Song)

There's one philosophy, a guiding force in my life, that I believe in above many others. I will forever be thinking about it, about him, when everyone else is sick of listening to it.

Lately, books like "Twilight", "A Series of Unfortunate Events", "Harry Potter," and so on and so forth have taken a backseat to a writer that I happened to stumble upon when Youtubing random people. John Green caught my undivided attention.

All of John's lively vlogs and fiery paragraphs, his influence over nerdfighteria, and his audacity to really use the free speech that we have been gifted with wormed their ways into my everyday life. The term "nerd fighting", a term used to describe releasing the inner nerd and wearing it happily, became my mantra. And the facts about John-that he lives in Indianapolis, loves Judy Blume, and that he's older than Hank-became better known to me than my friends' birthdays.

If there's anything John Green has taught me-and believe me, there's a lot-it's that you have to believe and take pride in yourself. This is the real essence of nerd fighting, or at least the positive application of it.In an earlier vlog, he describes the term as being, "nerds who fight, nerds who tackle the scourge of popular people," Since then, it has been used with Youtube's finest vloggers like Shane Dawson, Tyler Oakley, Mitchell Davis, and many more. In my life, it's about staying true to who you really are and being a part of a community.

I talk about his book "Wiill Grayson, Will Grayson" almost all of the time and I pretty much use it as an alternative bible for my life. I am proud to say, that I even owned one of the very first copies released before the actual release date. I have highlighted, tabbed, reread, etc. this book to an extreme. I proudly sport the book to all. No one at my school has even heard of it though, and no one cares to hear of it from me.

It's not like I'm new to being the weird one. While most of the girls in my school listen to Lady Gaga and watch Sex in the City, I pop in a He is We CD and my Supernatural DVDs. Who wouldn't love a show that stars two quite attractive actors?

To further prove my johngreenmania, I should talk about "Will Grayson, Will Grayson", which I was introduced to when he read the first chapter of it in a vlog and which paved the path through the rest of my life for me. Would it be odd to say that this book has had more of an affect on my life than my favorite teacher? I've reached a place in my life where I don't know what I'd do if John Green were to suddenly and tragically pass away. I've faithfully defended the slams I have received from my lunch table. "Oh, you're reading the gay book again?" and the painful ripping of a page. These have all pretty much been the norm coming from them.

I don't really care what anyone thinks. I have been quite a crybaby though when it comes to people insulting my friends, dreams, and obsessions. I even exchanged very heated words with the members of my lunch table for repeatedly bashing John Green and his writing.

While I may be the only girl at my school that reads John Green and watches The Colbert Report, I know something comes from this. Those who are afraid to do anything that's not been preapproved by MTV or the "cool" kids are also frequently those who lack imagination. People who have a drive to do things their own way or have a certain advantage, I suppose. Anyone can be an athlete or a businesswoman, a writer or an artist. But without some spark of creativity, of individuality, how will they run their race or sell their idea? Who, in today's ubercompetitive world, will choose the girl who straightened her beautiful curly hair just to be the cocaptain of a cheerleading squad? Isn't the imaginative tomboy who listens to Japanese music that she doesn't understand the words of but has a killer beat, a more interesting candidate?

I know I may never reach my goal of being best friends with John Green, but I'm certain I'll be able to squeeze my way into a dream college and find success in the real world, largely because of my quirks. You can't be steered away from your version of the truth, at least not if you want to make it further than the same small town you grew up in, reminiscing about how you could have married that rich dude.