What a Nerd!

/ roughwighting
nerd, Dr. Suess, love, blog about love

From If I Ran The Zoo, © 1950, Dr. Seuss

As he drones on and on about the meteorological reasons the clouds are forming heavy and dark above our heads, I smile secretly.

In high school, the nerdy boys – the ones who wore thick glasses and crewcuts and got all A’s in science, math, and astronomy – congregated around me.

I was horrified.

I got A’s in English, Drama, and Latin. I didn’t want to hear about their rocket science and fog dissections. But Robert, Nerd #1, took me to the Sophomore Snow Ball; Jonathan, Nerd #2, took me to the Junior Prom. I never lived down either event.

Finally, though, the jocks began to chase me, and my popularity rose.weather, weather nerd

“It looks like temperatures will throttle up, then the humidity will build later on. Not sure when the front will occur, but when that large mass of cold air meets the . . .” My guy’s words soothe me into a non-hearing state as I meditate on the many colors of green in the trees ahead of us – emerald, celadon, chartreuse, jade. I ruminate on the fact that my guy is a weather nerd, and I’m a word nerd. I laugh at him when he brags about his A in grad school physics; he scoffs when I claim my A in grad school Shakespeare is more impressive.

I steered clear of nerds in my college years, not realizing what (and who) I was missing. Back then, I didn’t have a clue that the word nerd was invented by the genius children’s writer Dr. Seuss in the 1950’s. In his book If I Ran the Zoo, a nerd is one of the imaginary animals the narrator wants to collect for his zoo.

wooded path, forestAs we walk on the wooded path in complete harmony, I pat my guy’s rear gently as he continues, “It’s the atmospheric pressure of . . .”

Thankfully, I figured it out years after college. This world is a zoo, and there’s no one better to live in it, survive in it, even relish this globe-shaped zoo, than with a nerd.

Nerds are the coolest dudes to love.

anniversary, long-time love

Happy 34-year anniversary of nerd bliss to my guy.

158 thoughts on “What a Nerd!”

  1. Ahhh…Pam, what a lovely tribute to us all … nerds in our own ways! I love the idea of being a word nerd and think you can help to creatively describe all those weather related events. You both look so happy and your gentle loving way with each other shines through. Happy 34th Year’s anniversary. My husband has a thing for architecture and whenever out and about he describes/explains in detail the history of the buildings. As you say, a soothing backdrop and recently I started to listen and actually learn! Interesting fact about Dr Neuss coming up with the word in the first place .. who knew?! Wishing you two nerds a wonderful weekend, my friend! ❤️🌺

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    • Oh, you’re too much, Annika, writing so lovingly about your architecture-nerd, and now even listening to him and learning! 🤓 I have not gotten to the point of understanding a thing my weather nerd says about the atmospheric pressure. But I sure do like the atmosphere between the two of us. 😍

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  6. Congratulations to you and your opposite nerd, Pam. “They” do say opposites attract. The attraction must pretty strong to be holding together for thirty-four years. That’s some feat.

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  7. Happy Anniversary to you and your guy, Pam!
    I’m a word nerd, too, and my guy was a math teacher for 37 years. (I think it was 37, but I can’t remember numbers.) 🙂
    Our daughters always were with the nerd group–musicals, Latin Club, etc. Older daughter was thrilled when her date to the senior prom was voted Prom King. Score one for the nerds, I remember her saying.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Jane – Yay for the Nerds, indeed. My head heal is a slow slow recovery. I never realized the brain needs time to undo the bruising. So, I sing with the birds and try to find the joy in nothing. xo

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  9. Pam, what a sweet love letter to your hubby. And thanks for giving us the history of the word Nerd. Yes, I suppose this planet is filled with many different species of life and we are very, very lucky when we meet and marry that perfect match.

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    • What a beautiful way of saying it, Bernadette. I think Dr. Seuss highlighted the way we are all different “species,” and he found the humor — and love — in it through his children’s books.

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    • That is SO true, Arlene. Although sometimes I wonder if those who live with ‘nerds’ just get better at understanding the nerdiness and learn to revel in it. 🙂

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  13. Happy Anniversary! I am pondering now that we are all nerds in one way or another. It’s just that we don’t always think about it that way!

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  15. I devote one whole chapter in my WIP memoir to a walk in the woods with nerdy Wayne, a math whiz. I married an artist though, who has some nerdy tendencies like his wife.

    Thanks for giving me the Seuss origin of the word nerd. Who knew? By the way, happy anniversary to you and your nerd in residence! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Friday mornings are always “my time” because my golfing “nut” left at 5:30 to go hit a little white ball with a “stick”. I guess he would be considered a golf nerd!!!! Love reading your blog every Friday morning. Happy 34th “loveversary”. Your picture is precious!!!

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  18. Happy Anniversary to you two Nerds. 😊💕 . You do look so happy and comfortable. Wonderful picture.
    I love your post Pam, taking us from your junior days to the grown up choice of your man. It is written with sincerity and fun.

    Have a wonderful day and many more to follow.
    Hug
    ~ miriam

    Liked by 1 person

    • Before “maturity” set in, I’m not sure I could have written so easily (or honestly) about relationships and choices and the “before-and-after.” Another great thing about aging, yes? 🙂

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    • That’s perfect, Amy. After I met my guy, I was told that his college library was ready to put a plaque on the well-used chair he was always on. 🙂 And I know both you and I find libraries an aphrodisiac. 🙂

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    • Probably by the time we reach 30 and over in years together, they kind of all mingle in. But that’s OK-as long as we celebrate each year in some nerdy and fun way! 😍
      To ❤️ Anniversaries.

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  26. I’ll take a nerd over a jock any day. Besides, most of the time, the nerds are like the ugly ducklings in school and beautiful swans when they grow up. I know that sounds a bit feminine (the beautiful swan part, anyway) but in the fairy tale, I got the impression that the ugly duckling was a boy. I suppose the story would work for both sexes.Anyway, happy anniversary to you two nerds.

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  28. What a beautiful tribute to your ‘nerd’. Thirty four years is a true blessing, not that we who are fortunate enough to have partners for so long would say is is always cupcakes and rainbows. Yet as the decades roll on our differences seem to compliment each other, like putty filling in holes missing from the other. Happy Anniversary you two. Wishing you countless more.

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  29. Awww. I think a lot of nerds have beautiful hearts. 🙂 Women just need to grow up a little to appreciate them. And I had no idea that Seuss invented the word. Wow! Lovely post, Pam. I hope your recovery is progressing well and the headaches easing. Relax and enjoy the… weather. ❤

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    • I like to think that both you and I are writing nerds, Diana. And the older I get, the more “mature” I become, the nerdier I am and embrace it. Here’s to the love of nerds. And thank you, my head heal is progressing but much more slowly than I would like. 🤕

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    • Oh, this is perfect. I’ll admit I sure would like to see a picture of you with one of those bronze god surfers. 😳 But yes, my nerd is an engineer also, and sometimes his black-and-white version of things, his way to categorize and compartmentalize life, can really make things simpler and easier. Then when I mess up all his lines and add a bit of weirdness and karma philosophy, I like to think I widen his world. My guess is that you know exactly what I’m talking about. XO

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  32. My husband is not one of the hunks I idolized and was sure I would marry. I don’t think he ever surfed. He didn’t have sandals until I bought them for him at age 60. Yet, it’s been perfect. Congrats to you both. Glad you figured out the secret to a happy marriage doesn’t lie in the outer package.

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  34. It is funny how we go for the wrong things when we are in school. It is all part of the fitting in, peer pressure thing. My son, Greg, doesn’t seem to care at all about fitting in, interestingly. My younger one is a completely different story.

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    • As much as we want to teach our kids what WE have learned along the way, most times they have to figure it out themselves. My brother was a “swimming nerd” when we grew up together. He couldn’t care less about being popular, and had few friends. Now he’s in his early 60s, a master swimmer, owner of a successful firm, and has more friends than he can count on hands and toes. Yay for the nerd!

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    • Thanks, Bette. My guy read this post and didn’t realize it was about him until he saw the photo at the bottom. Gotta laugh and celebrate the different perspectives of us all. 🙂 xo

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    • Thanks for the anniversary wishes. We celebrated in typical quiet fashion on the day, and then entertained our visiting son and his three young sons for the week after. NOTHING quiet about that! 🙂

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  40. Happy Anniversary Pam!! Love the photo 💕

    Today is my nerd’s birthday. I married a science nerd and although my eyes often glaze over, there is rarely a day that goes by that I don’t learn something new from him. He even got me to read a book about weather once. shhh – don’t tell him, but I found it really interesting!

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    • Haha. Your secret is safe with me, Joanne. Over the years, our kids have given my guy so many weather books (as gifts – what else do you give a nerd-father?) that half of them are stored in the basement, and a few in the bookcase. I don’t think he’s looked at one of them, though. He already knows it all. 🙂 Cheers to you and your science nerd. xo

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    • Ah, how the world turns, Andrea. I’m encouraging my grandsons (and granddaughter) toward engineering, math and science (with some literature on the side). As 5-8 year olds, they’re kinda giving me weird looks, but they’ll thank me in the end. 🙂

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    • I usually keep my guy in the background in my personal stories. He prefers it that way. And in fact, when he read this post he didn’t know it was about himself until he saw the photo at the end! Gotta love him. 😍

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      • LOL! It reminds me of my hubby. Several years ago when our sons were still in high school, the mantel was filled with birthday cards from family and friends and a banner made by my sister hung across the mantle saying “Happy Birthday, Mich.” My birthday came and went and my husband hadn’t noticed any of it. My sons were going crazy. They wanted to tell their dad he forgot my birthday. I told them, “don’t you dare!” About a week and a half later, my sweet hubby said, “Did somebody have a birthday?” Yup, gotta love ’em!

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  48. Happy anniversary, Pamela.

    I love that bit of trivia about the origin of “nerd.” I’ll have to show it to my nerdy grandson.

    My husband was a mechanical engineer, but he never was a nerd. He was the kind of Chinese who went along with his father’s desire that he become an engineer. He was more interested in history and English. Also he was a great storyteller. The stories he told me about his childhood in China were the inspiration for my first novel, Tiger Tail Soup.

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    • What a special man. I imagine he was able to take up history as a hobby as he succeeded with his mechanical engineering. Thank goodness for his storytelling abilities! ❤️

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  50. Happy Anniversary! What a lovely tribute to your husband and your love for one another. My husband is a science-engineering type too. Differences make things interesting! 🙂

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  52. Happy Anniversary Pam. My man of 40 years is also a nerd , he is real smart. Me, I am just a boring regular person. Take good care of yourself and heal.

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  54. Happy anniversary, Pam. I’ve been married to my nerd (engineer) for 27 years next month, and I wouldn’t trade him for anything. How are you doing? I am feeling better and hope to go back to work next week. Recovering from a concussion is not for wimps! -Molly

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    • So happy you’re able to return to work next week. I have a feeling you’ve been better at taking care of your head than I have. We had our CA son and grandsons visiting, and I played with them the entire time. Now, I’m back to the beginning of my concussion – and starting concussion PT. Looooonnng process. 😦

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      • Yeah, I can relate. I didn’t go back to work and in fact I’m out for at least another 2 weeks. I don’t think I’ve been good at this patience thing. I do too much and it sets me back. Then I behave and feel better and do too much. grrrr. So sorry you are having such a hard time but I am told it can take several months to get back to ‘normal.’

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    • Aw, shucks. I woulda loved to see those photos, Erik. Believe me, I was a nerd in grammar school, with my thick glasses and wavy hair. Hmmm, now to think about it, I look much the same now! Nerd=smart,sweet,intelligent. 🙂

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  57. What a fun post, Pam, and delightful tribute to your nerdy hubby. Love the photo of you two and wishing you a very Happy 34th Anniversary! My hubby loves museums and reads every sign. Sigh. 🙂 But he’s also an outdoor enthusiast (hiking, camping, etc.) which I have eagerly embraced. 🌼

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  58. Pingback: Rebloggy Friday Part 7: Rough Wighting | heylookawriterfellow

  59. What your nerd hubby does with weather, mine does with golf. I know my eyes glaze over when he starts replaying his game, hole by hole, stroke by stroke, even though I try really hard not to. Same with football games. I once asked about a game I missed the end to, because I went to bed. I hurt his feelings when after a couple minutes of replay, I told him I really just wanted to know the final score.
    May you have another 34 years together!

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    • Laughed as I read your comment. I have several friends who said the same thing to me: they married a GOLF NERD. Here’s to always knowing the score with our nerds, though. They ARE kinda cute, aren’t they? 🙂

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  60. I think these days nerds are cool. So much popular fiction is quite nerdy: Simpsons, Futurama, comic books have been turned into movies and so much more. You and your guy look so happy back then and I’m sure many more happy nerdy years to come 😛

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  63. I am proud to say I am also married to a nerd. ❤ I am amazed all the time when he starts pulling information out of his head about medicine and the human body. He is a radiologist and when he is talking to other physicians about something or explaining a procedure to a lay person I am still astounded he has all of the information in his head and can easily extract it. He is kind and empathetic which makes him a unique doctor. There aren't many out there who are able to talk to a regular person and explain things on a level they can understand in a non-condescending way. Nerds rule! And now that I know where the word came from and can tell my "all-knowing" hubby something he doesn't know! 😉

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    • Ohhhh, you lucky woman. I smiled as I read about your nerd and his great intellect. When they (our nerd guys) start spouting off their amazing wealth of (sometimes obtuse) information, isn’t it sexy? ❤

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        • Oh, me too. And my guy does roll his eyes at time (like if I suddenly recite a poem – just created at that minute – which goes on and on). But I give him the evil eye back – if I have to listen to his lectures about cloud bursts, he can “enjoy” my creative musings. 🙂

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