Listen… I am a really good people person. Folks love to hang out with me. I am not quite sure why but I think that I am a good listener and others love this. My problem is, that I don’t enjoy that. I’m really good at something that I don’t enjoy.

I just quietly do my own thing, and people seem to want to talk to me. I don’t think I’m cool, but maybe laid back and approachable.

What I have found works well is to own it, but in a resonable manner.

Learn some fun facts, truly fun I mean, stuff that normal people can see the funny part of.

I am a bit of a nerd about public transportation, and I work in a department with many people who like sports, they go to matches, the watch games on the TV, they play sports themselves, so when I found out that there is an annual tram championship it was fun to share that with the rest of the team, it was even better when I found out that they take place during the summer and are broadcast live on youtube.

Summer is our slow season, and we have several TVs set up for monitoring system in the office, one of them has been shut off for a lobg time but you can still use it, so I put it up on the TV on mute, and people found it interesting to watch, the sports people could relate to the competition part of it and I enjoyed seeing the skill and trams used in the competition.

For those nerds who are interested here is the video from the 2023 championship:

https://www.youtube.com/live/GMI7UaJMwWs

Perhaps not as suave as you are thinking but an example of owning it in a responsible manner.

Look around in the world and notife what is ‘cool and normal’ and ask yourself, would you like to be like that? I don’t, so I don’t care how to be ‘cool’.

Just go about youre life and live it the way you want, there is only one person who’s opinion should matter, you. (Maybe a 2nd, as living alone can get a tad boring)

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I live north of 99,9% of the world population so whenever I walk outside, I get cool real quick during this time of the year. Does it count?

I’ve developed courage that I never thought I’d be capable of. I can be very scared and keep myself moving.

Also I’ve got a bunch of great spotify playlists, from my time as an Uber driver (a job that lets you listen to and hence curate music for twelve hours a day). Today when the overhead music failed in the store I worked at, it was a bit awkward meeting with my clients. So I pulled out my phone and put on my “Jazz Low” playlist, which is for low-energy loungy jazz.

What? I’m not cool. But did hear someone at work tell someone else that I am “so funny”. Something I guess, at least.

I’m still trying to figure that out. I definitely don’t feel like I ring any cool bells to anyone.

Confident but not cocky, try and make someone’s day better with laughter or a compliment. Ask questions that confirm you are really interested. Listen intently. Have a basic set of clothes that combine well into something about 25% the way of 'well dressed", whatever that may be in your style.

I’m not a nerd, why would you say that?

(nervously scratching my face while looking for any cool and elegant piece for clothing in the closet)

I dress well, if you can be presentable it really opens a lot of social doors that don’t seem always available.

I have long hair and a particular fashion sense. That’s about it.

I might like more “cool” stuff than nerdy but I still think I’m a nerd.

Not all nerds are nerdy.

Big willie.

But seriously, big willie