On secret identities

Occasionally, in the course of conversation, I'll mention that I'm a geek.  Generally, this is to a geek-friendly non-geek (or slight geek).  I don't need to identify myself to other geeks (it's obvious) and I've learned (the hard way) to keep Geek Woman away from interactions with the geek-averse.  The typical response is, "oh, you're not a geek!'

I realize that these people are being kind but, it bugs me.  First, I've worked very hard to be proud of Geek Woman.  Second--c'mon people, how can you say I'm not a geek?

Reason 1:  I'm extroverted.  Geeks, IME, are an introverted lot (this is why research was not a viable career for me--I'm ill-suited to spending hours without conversing with other humans).

Reason 2:  I have passable social skills.  True (also something hard won for me).  I still struggle (especially with gracefully concluding social interactions), but I can get through a PTO meeting (generally) without behaving too inappropriately.  (Many geeks have passable or better social skills, but they tend to get lumped into the "you're not a geek" catagory, so the negative stereotype persists.)

Reason 3:  I'm funny.  !?!?  I just heard this the other day.  Yes, I like to think that I'm funny, but IME, most funny people are somewhere on the geeky spectrum.

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Minivan Mom, my secret identity is starting to take over Geek Woman.  Clearly, I need something to differentiate them.

I did it--I got glasses.  I now need reading glasses most of the time, but swapping them on and off was a pain.  I've always had a very slight distance correction but since it's not enough to affect driving, I've never bothered to fill it.

I got progressive lenses and I'm now attempting to wear glasses all the time.  It's working pretty well.  But the glasses do give me more of a geeky look.

Like so many other things in my life, I got it backward.  I put on my glasses to become Geek Woman and take them off to hide in my secret identity.

Unlike Clark Kent, who gained a forehead curl when he took off his glasses and became Superman, my hair stays exactly the same (curly all over) for either personna.   (The curly hair is a geek indicator, I fear.)