Today is nerd day. Last
night my six year old granddaughters asked me what a nerd was. I told them in children’s lingo “it’s someone
who is really, really, really smart and studies all the time and may not be
very cute and is pretty much a bookworm”.
What? Did I just tell them that
smart people are someone you can make fun of and if you are smart people call
you a derogatory name? Something just
wasn’t right about that. Maybe I’ve had
the definition of nerd wrong all these years.
When I got home I looked up the definition to affirm or hopefully negate
my thinking.
Nerd: 1. offensive term: an offensive term that deliberately
insults somebody's physical appearance or social skills
2. single-minded
enthusiast: somebody who is considered to be excessively interested in a
subject or activity that is regarded as too technical or scientific
The first word I see, offensive. And then, single minded. Yes, why would we pick on someone for loving
to learn or how they look or their hobbies?
Isn’t this a form of bullying? Is
it okay to be a bully as long as you don’t do drugs?
I’m not sure who comes up with the character days, if it’s
within the school or if they are following the national program, but maybe they
should rethink “nerd” day.
My granddaughters didn’t dress up today. Not for this reason but another. I’m kind of glad though.
Do I have a point here or am I being too pc about this?
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