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MineralMan (67,149 posts) Wed Sep 24, 2014, 10:02 AMI'm an Unashamed Nerd.For me, the term is not a negative one, and has never been a negative one. I'll tell a story about my nerdiness that dates back to my junior high school days (middle school to you youngsters): In 1957, I was in the 7th grade. I was a 12-year-old science nerd, and still am, really. In October of that year, the USSR launched the first orbiting satellite, Sputnik 1. It was a major news story and a major accomplishment for humans. We had put a satellite in orbit. It was the talk of the day for a very long time. Of course, the science teacher talked about it to us kids. One of my hobbies at the time was listening to shortwave radio broadcasts. My parents have given me a Heathkit shortwave radio kit the Christmas before, and I put it together. It worked great. Shortly after Sputnik was launched, I found out the radio frequency used by it to broadcast the primitive telemetry signal it produced. The Los Angeles Times published a schedule of the times the satellite would pass over California for several days. So, I talked to my science teacher and asked if she thought it would be interesting for the class to hear Sputnik. She was skeptical, but I told her I had been listening to it already. I told her that it would be passing over during our science class two days later and offered to set things up so everyone could hear it. She was still skeptical, but said it would be OK to try. So, I did. I brought my radio to school and strung up a makeshift antenna. I had tested the setup earlier in the day, and it worked just fine. So, that day, the entire classroom got to hear Sputnik beep as it passed by. 20.005 MHZ, just above the WWV time signal. Beep, beep, beep. Yes, I was a nerd. Who cared? That day, a nerdish 12-year-old got to be the class hero. Nerds rule!
MineralMan (67,149 posts) Wed Sep 24, 2014, 10:30 AM3. Yup. That was it.It was a pretty amazing thing, back in 1957. There was a lot of amazing stuff happening with technology around that time. Transistors were taking over electronics, and much more. People were just starting to buy color television sets. FM radio was becoming popular. The electronics revolution was about to explode. OTOH, we were still crouching under desks in "atomic bomb" drills. Lots of bad stuff still going on in many areas. Things are somewhat better now, but we still have far to go.
MineralMan (67,149 posts) Wed Sep 24, 2014, 10:36 AM5. The distinction is very difficult to make.The funny thing is that the word "nerd" wasn't really in use back in 1957 with the same definition it has now. The definition of a nerd that was prevalent then was "someone who sniffs bicycle seats." Seriously. And "geek" still had the definition of "someone in a side show who bites the heads off chickens." The language evolves, it seems.
MineralMan (67,149 posts) Wed Sep 24, 2014, 11:05 AM11. Excellent! I'm sure I drove my parents nuts with my nerdery,but they encouraged it. That Heathkit radio was just one example. I'm sure they questioned my ability to assemble that radio from parts, but they got it for me anyhow. I took my time, learned the necessary skills, and did it. I'm sure they shook their heads on a frequent basis over me, but it didn't matter. They wanted me to succeed. Another great story, from even younger days. I was forever bringing small animals home that I had found while wandering in the undeveloped area around my small town. One time, I found a Western Alligator Lizard, almost a foot long. I walked into the house with it. It had its jaws locked on my thumb. Didn't hurt or anything, but I just had to show this amazing lizard to my mom, and figured I'd get a rise out of her. She said, and I quote her exactly, "That's very nice. When it lets go, wash your hands for dinner." That was it. By then, the unexpected was expected from me.
MineralMan (67,149 posts) Wed Sep 24, 2014, 11:23 AM 13. She still is a treasure at 90 years of age.My dad, too. Both are still living, and I'll be seeing them shortly.
MineralMan (67,149 posts) Wed Sep 24, 2014, 11:30 AM15. There will be hugs, for sure.I live halfway across the country from them, because my wife's parents needed here our help. My brother and sister, though, still live in the same town as my parents, so they've got that covered. My wife's 86 year old mom just moved into assisted living. Her mother lived to 100, so we expect to be here for quite some time to come. MIL will probably outlive me, for pete's sake. Life's always interesting, it seems.
MineralMan (67,149 posts) Wed Sep 24, 2014, 11:34 AM19. Miss Weaver. She was quite a character, and a greatmiddle school science teacher. Everyone called her "Petey." She did a good job of interesting kids in the sciences, I think. She didn't have to work very hard with me, though.
MineralMan (67,149 posts) Wed Sep 24, 2014, 11:37 AM21. "Nerds are just cool people in a different way."Yes. That's difficult for kids to understand, though, sometimes. It's easy to feel ostracized and unpopular. Still, the nerds have their own group of friends, in most cases. Trying to live up to everyone's expectations never makes sense, but it can be a difficult lesson to learn.
MM thinks very highly of himself, every single post that he makes is about him.
That is true of just about every liberal you will run across.All the world is about them.
The definition of a nerd that was prevalent then was "someone who sniffs bicycle seats."
Things are somewhat better now, Thank a Reagan, you useless jackass.... but we still have far to go.
I think it's sad that the poor bastard's life peaked at the age of twelve.
There are lots of DUmmies who even claim to have seen Sputnik, which was about the size of a medicine ball, nearly four hundred miles high.
