In Which I am an Open Minded Nerd

    Doctor Who? Is the most common reply people make when I mention my favorite television show.  I then do an internal sigh and go into a speech explaining The Doctor, The TARDIS and a variety of other things people familiar with the show will understand. I try not to shake these people violently and scream "How do you NOT  know Doctor Who?????" Alas, many people aren't very familiar with it.
    I am not a very patient person, if you hadn't guessed. I don't like having to explain my fandoms to people, especially when they follow up my explanation with "That's weird" or "I still don't get it." So how do I stop myself from slamming my head on a table repeatedly?
Simple. Sort of.
1) Remember when you were a n00b. 
Oh, goodness that brings back memories. I can recall when I thought Daleks were called Darlings because of how those darned British people speak. I can remember when I thought The Doctor was human. I can remember when...okay, I will be quiet now. But honestly, when talking to them I think of them as people newly introduced to the series. What would I have wanted someone to say to me when I was little and confused?
2) Recommend a jumping-off point in the series
Instead of staring at someone who hasn't seen Star Wars with a confused look I try to recommend where they should start by saying "You should check out A New Hope. It's pretty fantastic." Hopefully they will join me as a fellow nerd before long.
3)Take a deep breath and get ready to answer questions
My parents were definitely confused by their daughter's newfound interest in Doctor Who. Understandably it didn't make much sense to them. I just had to talk. A lot. So mainly on this point keep calm and carry on (you got that didn't you? Aren't I hilarious?).

Hopefully you were enlightened by my genius and will use these tips when encountering a newbie or regular person.
DFTBA,
Sophia