Nerds.

It's no secret that I am a nerd. A self-proclaimed nerd, in fact. And I've come to love my nerdiness. Some may call me dorky, or geeky. Maybe that's because I like to laugh at my own jokes. But....I prefer nerd. It just seems a little more sophisticated, if possible. (If you didn't know this tidbit about me already....maybe you should check the title of my blog. That might give you a little hint.)

So, I thought I'd dedicate a post to MY family's nerdiness. Because, we nerds love to talk nerdy. (I think.) (And not nerdy as in the computer tech, electronic mumbo gumbo. )

First of all, let me state that my nerdiness must be genetic. After all, my dad did carry a slide rule on his hip and wear a pocket protector...in high school. And my mom was and still is an avid bookworm. Big nerdy red flags. They also attended a Halloween party dressed as nerds. (And, yes, there is a photo to document this occasion....I just haven't stumbled upon it yet) And during the party, quite a few people wondered aloud what my parents were dressed up as.....

Secondly, I grew up following my older brother Jay around. Meaning, I was his nerdy sidekick. I spent countless hours watching him play Frogger, Contra and Pong on the Atari. Occasionally I would be allowed to actually test my skills and play. After begging and being told 'no' many times for the new Nintendo 64 for Christmas, Jay opened a large package from our Grandma and Grandpa McEntire to find his beloved brand new video game box. I think he lapped the house three or four times with squeals of excitement. Again I think I played Duck Hunt, maybe, twice. Another Christmas, Santa brought Jay a remote controlled car. Santa didn't have time to assemble the car. But, sneaky Jay decided to wake up early and assemble the car himself. (Because nerds love to tinker.) He successfully assembled the remote controlled car. The only flaw was that everything was backwards.

I have tried to be a good nerdy example to my younger brothers to carry on the family trait. So far, it looks like its working. Although Tyler may try to act as the cool unassuming nerd by being a quiet wall flower, we all know better. He, too, loves to solve puzzles and tackle many nerdy problems. And Zachary, fortunately, is Napolean Dynamite. It's true. He did actually call me asking me to bring him finger nail clippers because he had a hang nail.

I find myself fortunate to force my way into the nerdy world. Although at times I was a simple spectator.

After all, our family motto thanks to Bill Gates is, “Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.”