When I was young, being a nerd was a bad thing. Kids that excelled at school were branded this and it felt very uncool. Luckily for me, I didn't worry about studies a lot in high school, so being cool should be have been easy.
I didn't want to be a nerd, but definitely was in the nerd camp.
How times change.
Today, both of my kids self-identify as nerds (which surprised me). And it's a good thing. Today, it means smart, geeky but definitely not uncool - or at least as uncool as it was back in my day. This new attitude surprises and amazes me.
I guess it makes sense. Bill Gates is among the richest. Mark Zuckerburg is hip. Apple is the worlds most valuable companies. All nerds, all cool.
Reagan revels in her nerdiness. From Harry Potter to countless other book-inspired-movies. Ian holds his own as well being the "human calculator" (apparently his nickname at school), math club and lego robotics stuff. And it's cool.
Then I see this in my workplace cafeteria:
"The last thing we need is more nerds."
I didn't want to be a nerd, but definitely was in the nerd camp.
How times change.
Today, both of my kids self-identify as nerds (which surprised me). And it's a good thing. Today, it means smart, geeky but definitely not uncool - or at least as uncool as it was back in my day. This new attitude surprises and amazes me.
I guess it makes sense. Bill Gates is among the richest. Mark Zuckerburg is hip. Apple is the worlds most valuable companies. All nerds, all cool.
Reagan revels in her nerdiness. From Harry Potter to countless other book-inspired-movies. Ian holds his own as well being the "human calculator" (apparently his nickname at school), math club and lego robotics stuff. And it's cool.
Then I see this in my workplace cafeteria:
"The last thing we need is more nerds."
I find that offensive. I don't watch Duck Dynasty or whatever and have no context for this other than I stroll into our cafeteria to buy a soda and read that we need less nerds. Umm, I was a part in making 2 more.
Clearly, this guy and probably the lunch bags owner, harken back to the days of the "make fun of the nerd" time. Maybe that still happens today and I live in a bubble (probably 80% true).
How does this make it onto a lunch sack? Is this not asking for some kind of genocide? I'll plead ignorance to the context but if I made a lunch box and put "The world needs less backwoods duck hunters", I suspect I'd get calls, threats and if they knew how to email, emails.
But I think we need more nerds and I love that the stigma seems to be fading. Go Nerds!
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