Stephanie Lee

The snow on my front lawn is an untouched stretch of pure white. The sunlight beaming off such a blank canvas blinds me for a moment when I first step outside. Untouched, the snow looks fake like the synthetic, cottony fluff you would buy in a department store that is called ‘snow’ under pretense. The ground is clean except for one stray piece of newspaper that is crinkled from having once been wet and then dried in the sun and it’s caught in the ivy separating my neighbor’s house from my own. My neighbor pulls out of their driveway and another driver coming down the street has to stop and let them by before continuing on their way. There is so much white; the snow, the houses, the cars. It is peaceful and doesn’t feel like the city at all, except the soiled snow pushed to the sides of the road and a car driving by every thirty seconds reminds me that I live on the Queens side of the border between Queens and Long Island. The tree on my lawn is directly in front of me and is bare. Its branches are thin and exposed and screams of winter and death and cold but there is a small patch of green grass peeking out from underneath the snow at the base of the tree. It is promising what will come when all the snow melts and the air gets warmer. Vegetation. Life. A new beginning.

My name is Stephanie but feel free to call me Steph. I am turning 21 in April and while I’m glad to finally be rid of the giant, red “UNDER 21” on my driver’s license, I don’t feel like I suspect a 21 year old should feel. I’ve had to write descriptive paragraphs about myself many times before and I have yet to properly capture myself in words. I can describe the house in which I reside and the one room I occupy. Or I can explain that I am a graphic design major that spends as much time on Photoshop as a part time job except I don’t get paid for it. Or perhaps that I feel truly peaceful listening and watching the rain at night from my bedroom window. The list of things I could describe about myself is be endless but there would always be something else to add. The biggest part of my life currently though would be my involvement in a couple of fandoms.

Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, freedom, etc.) is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the object(s) of their fandom and spend a significant portion of their time and energy involved with their interest, often as a part of a social network with particular practices (a fandom); this is what differentiates “fannish” (fandom-affiliated) fans from those with only a casual interest. (Wikipedia)

A lot of people are embarrassed to admit that they’re part of a fandom (what’s nerdier than admitting you obsess over something fictional?) and with good reason. Fandoms and fans are very often mocked and made fun of (think: Star Trek fans and all the jokes about them living in their parents’ basements and being virgins). I, however, am not particularly embarrassed anymore to admit that I am part of a fandom or two or three. Mainly, my fandoms are Supernatural (TV show) and AFI (band). My involvement in these fandoms range from fanfiction and fanart to roleplaying games. I primarily express myself and use my creativity to involve in these fandoms.

In conclusion: My name’s Steph and I’m what many would consider a nerd, and that’s fine.