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It’s a little known fact, that when I was a youngster, I didn’t have many friends. I wasn’t what you would call one of the poplar children. I wasn’t unpopular either, people liked me, on a one-to-one basis. It’s not like I passed under the radar, everyone knew who I was, they could speak my name without disdain, and to be seen with me wasn’t social suicide. But I had no friends. During school hours, I would sit amongst a certain group, for most of my years I would spent lunch hours and break times with the same group. But not one of these people were my friends. I didn’t receive invites to parties, be them cinema/McDonalds trips or raging ‘my parents are away for the weekend’ house parties. Nor did I attend sleep-overs or just after school hang-outs. I didn’t go out drinking until my second night at University! There were one or two people with whom I would spend time with after school, but I cannot include them as I didn’t really like them either. At the time it was simply that or nothing. When I was 17 I decided that I had made the wrong choice, and went with nothing instead.
I tell you this, not looking for sympathy or a supporting shoulder, (although I’m sure if certain people are to read this, they will start to weep on cue) but to make a point. I was not a nerd. When our generation was growing up, all conventional media telling us what to like, say and do, how to dress and act, and who to be, was pointing sternly at one thing – Whatever you do, do not be a nerd! To be branded this way, was worse than accidentally calling your teacher ‘mum’. I spent my entire childhood, my attention solely based on making sure I was not a nerd. It’s all I cared about. If I’m not a nerd, I’m cool.
Being a nerd means you like school. You enjoy learning about things, you’re naturally inquisitive, you don’t stop asking questions and needing answers, you’re passionate about something. Anything. Problem was, these few lines describe all children. If I think back to my childhood, try to remember trends, films, games, TV, anything, I can’t do it. It seems I was so hell bent on being cool, I made sure I had no interest in anything at all.
The Kaiser Chiefs suggest it is cool, to know nothing. I’d disagree. My lack of knowledge only made me quiet and boring. When everyone else was talking about football, music, TV, or a shared interest in something less orthodox, I could not join in. With no common ground, I was an outsider, an outcast. I may not have been a nerd, but being the only one who wasn’t, I was uncool.
I see this as a lesson, a misspent youth, which I have now learnt from, and can only make up.
It’s cool to know something. To have an interest, is to be interesting. I raise my glass to all the passionate Fonzie’s out there. You are pioneers of our modern culture.
Nerds are Cool – Brought to you by James Wormald -