On Being a Granola Geek

I was recently asked in my comments the following questions:

So the question begs, are you a granola geek?
And if so, what do you think of this title?
Is it accurate verbage [sic] to describe your preferences?

Rather than pontificate in the comments I figured that the fair questions deserve their own post. So, J, this is for you.

I think I need to start at the beginning to really answer your questions. You see, you missed the most important question, What does "granola geek" mean to me? Many years ago when I was trying to come up with a clever name for my blog I wanted something that described me, something that encapsulated all that I am. I ended up with two words which captured parts of me—not all of me, but parts.

I readily accept and embrace both my granola ways and my geekhood.

Here, I mean 'granola' to apply to my love of nature and pretty much all things outdoors. I grew up in the woods (literally) camping and enjoying Mama Nature. I like to say I was "leave no trace" before LNT was an acronym (which, for the record, is true as far as I can tell). I am, without a doubt, a preservationist (with a dollop of conservationist thrown in for good measure). I love and respect the Earth, and hope and pray that my children's children are able to say the same.

At the same time, I'm a geek. I make my living working in the software industry. I spend an inordinate amount on the computer as well as checking out the specs of the new gear I want/crave/need/buy. I love Star Wars, StarTrek, and Legos. I have an iPhone and am contemplating getting a Kindle. Like I said, I'm a geek.

The stark dichotomy of these two core elements of who I am struck me as something that really makes me who I am. Not only are these two elements seemingly at opposition with one another, but so are so many other qualities which make up the whole.

So, back to your questions:
Am I a granola geek? Yes, for the reasons listed above, but I'm also a geek about nature. I know how to read a map, and could probably find my way out of a remote wilderness. I study up on gear before I buy it, and frequently get mistaken for an REI employee (no, no, I'm serious, I nearly sold some random dude a pair of snowshoes before he bothered to ask if I worked there).

What do I think of this title? Well, I love it!

Is it accurate verbiage to describe my preferences? Yup.

However, we've left one question unasked, and perhaps the answer to this question will change my answer to the previous three: What, dear reader, does 'granola geek' mean to you? Riddle me that, and you may find another post waiting for you.

One final thought—regular readers may have noticed that I recently (like, last night) renamed my blog from "On Being a Granola Geek" (which is how I'm #1 in google results) to "Tree Huggers Anonymous". I'm not sure how long the name change will remain in place—I was really just looking for a quick change of pace, and something equally cute and catchy. Tragically, this one is much less unique.