The Revenge of the Nerds

[sgs4u]

That "Nerdy Boys" song was indeed fabulous. Thanks for bringing it up again!The 2 execs scrapping over who is going to demo it, was the ultimate in cool Rally moments. Nov 13, 2008, 5:03pm, jamesm wrote:Did you hear that song, "I Love Nerdy Boys" at the last panel on Sunday? Classic! and perfect for this thread. It could be our new anthem.

[ernstinen]

I grew up on Lake Michigan in a town that was the headquarters of Whirlpool Corp. There was the "cool," yacht club crowd with all the rich kids, the average kids like me, and the nerds. It was definitely a class-conscious school system. But I was extremely insecure, because my mother was sick with cancer, and I stuttered so badly in 9th grade that I could barely speak. What got ME out of it was starting to play in a rock band in 10th grade. My dad (who was the band director) helped me learn certain keyboard riffs that I could NEVER figure out for myself. By junior and senior year, I was "almost" cool! But then college started, and I was back to zero. But "The Revenge of the Nerds" has a way of changing the older we get. Most of the "cool" kids back then are now twice divorced, bitter, sickly, and just a sad shell of their glory days, whereas most of us are now "COOL!" Good for US! Ern

[allends]

Nov 13, 2008, 6:28pm, ernstinen wrote:I grew up on Lake Michigan in a town that was the headquarters of Whirlpool Corp.......Most of the "cool" kids back then are now twice divorced, bitter, sickly, and just a sad shell of their glory days, whereas most of us are now "COOL!" Good for US! Ern Wow Ern,You're speaking to me on two powerful levels: 1) You and I grew up in SW Michigan - that takes me back , and 2) your observation regarding how perspectives change over time is a real heart-warmer. Thanks for lifting me up today, Ern. BTW: It was great meeting you at last! And Casey: Thanks for starting this thread! You're one of the sweetest, giving-est guys I know. Count me in as one of those insecure boys who turned to the guitar for validation. Validating experiences are still my addictive drug of choice, sadly. After decades of meditating and self-help practices I'm still seeking that which fills those empty spaces in my soul. Fulfillment is an illusive thing because the past is a thing that has an undeniable powerful grip. The best advice I've heard recently is simply to feel those emotions fully, acknowledge them, and eventually move on. Easier said than done, but it is the royal road to peace.Thanks for sharing!-Allen

[ragani]

Nov 12, 2008, 7:33pm, squids wrote:Oh honey, I thought everyone here flew the freak flag in high school. (raisin' hand!) Back then I was the only bean-eating, yoga-practicing, Birkenstock-wearing, boy-clothed girl in our school. Now, this might be considered "cool", but in those days it was definitely not hip. I thank goodness that I was focused elsewhere with other connections for the most part, so the "in/out" peer thing from school didn't seem to bother me so much most of the time.Nov 13, 2008, 5:08pm, sgs4u wrote:That "Nerdy Boys" song was indeed fabulous. Thanks for bringing it up again!The 2 execs scrapping over who is going to demo it, was the ultimate in cool Rally moments. Nov 13, 2008, 5:03pm, jamesm wrote:Did you hear that song, "I Love Nerdy Boys" at the last panel on Sunday? Classic! and perfect for this thread. It could be our new anthem. That's one moment from the Rally that I'm sorry I missed-- I walked into the hall seconds after it finished playing. So I hope those execs duke it out and someone gets that song up and running soon because I WANNA HEAR IT!!!!

[Casey H]

Nov 14, 2008, 7:36am, ragani wrote:Back then I was the only bean-eating, yoga-practicing, Birkenstock-wearing, boy-clothed girl in our school. Maybe it was the bean eating that kept friends away.

[ragani]

Good one, Casey. Very funny. But I didn't say that I didn't have any friends... just no bean-eating ones.

[kg]

Nov 12, 2008, 7:33pm, squids wrote:Oh honey, I thought everyone here flew the freak flag in high school. (raisin' hand!) We had flags!!! WTF uh I mean WTH ! I was clearly left out of the loop on that one ROFL.

[squids]

My nightmare: Peakin' in high school!

[anne]

Casey, I would never have ever guessed that you were a like that when younger. Me too, and as an adult as well. I love playing baseball, but really suck at it. THE WORST! Yet I was an ace at ultimate frisbee and I could fix my own car or anyone's car stereo in a heartbeat : ) It wasn't until I started recording and performing in 11th grade that I ever felt like I could do something truly special. I'm still working on that self esteem thing, but the constant self challenge of putting myself "out there" and intentionally doing things that challenge my comfort level has made a huge difference. I hope all of us can learn from each other and realize that our individuality are what make us the most beautiful.Let your freak flags fly!

[ernstinen]

Nov 15, 2008, 1:42pm, anne wrote:I love playing baseball, but really suck at it. THE WORST! Yet I was an ace at ultimate frisbee and I could fix my own car or anyone's car stereo in a heartbeat : )Ha! Anne, I was an average baseball/basketball player into my teens, but got laughed off the basketball court in 8th grade by the teasing. I was so embarassed, I quit the team!But, 10 years later, I joined a co-ed softball team with my wife. I ran her ass off playing frisbee, and practiced with her until dark playing softball.The result? I became an All-Star shortstop, and my wife became a fine catcher. We practiced relay throws from short left field over and over, until she could catch ANYTHING I threw to her, at the highest velocity. She could catch any throw, and block the plate.The result? After a few years, we SHUT DOWN every team in the league, with our team of weirdos and hippies, and won the city championship! We were AWESOME! No one could beat us, because we had the mojo! The "jock" teams were totally upset when we threw guys out at the plate because there was a "girl" catcher. It was a great "revenge" moment for everyone on the team.See! Time has its advantages against the "cool guys."Ern