Nerds are the best.
And I mean that sincerely.
My family and I took a vacation recently. In fact, I’m still sitting in Vancouver, British Columbia, as I type this out. We head to the airport at 2am tomorrow. Yay. (Not.)
This is from a wall at corporate headquarters for the company that hosted the tech expo.
I realize that some families go to the beach for vacation. Some families go to the mountains. Some go to amusement parks. Personally, we haven’t been on a family vacation in almost a decade. There’s been a lot of life going on, and all of us getting away together hasn’t been super possible. This year, though, we pulled it off.
Found this in a shelf in the lab near where computers are tested. :-)
And we went to a technology expo in Vancouver. Because that’s just as good for a family vacation as a beach or the mountains or…well, it’s just as good as anything else. Especially when it’s something we all wanted to do.
I noticed a few things at this conference, too.
Companies donated tech gear to be given away. The folks on stage carried it all into the audience to give away…and got mobbed like rockstars at a concert.
One, there were a lot more women than I’d been led to believe would be there. Yes, they were completely outnumbered by the men, but there were still a lot of women.
Two, tech nerds come in all shapes and sizes. And most of them are kind, helpful, and just basically nice.
I think sometimes we get this idea that people who are into computers or technology or simply those who are super smart are somehow undesirable. They’re somehow “less than” the physical, athletic types. Most people, it seems, would rather read a romance with a fire fighter on the cover than with a scientist or mathematician. But, personally, I find those nerdy heroes and heroines worth the read. Maybe I can just relate to them a little better than I can the firefighter. 😊
If you’re in the mood for a good read with a nontraditional and kind of nerdy hero, check out An Informal Date. Sometimes the nerdy and slightly awkward guy gets the girl. 😉
Heather Gray loves coffee, God, her family, and laughter – not necessarily in that order! She writes approachable characters who, through the highs and lows of life, find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her. And, yeah, her books almost always have someone who's a coffee addict. Some things just can't be helped. Despite their different lives and situations, Heather’s characters have something in common. They're all flawed...but loved anyway.
Love this! I get tired of the hero always being a hunk of muscle! I know we read to escape reality but really!! Most of us are very happy with our own not so ‘hunkish male’ (sorry if I have just invented a new word) and can relate to the girl who falls for a ‘ normal’ man just as we relate to those who have a traumatic past.
I have no idea if that’s a word or not, but I’m totally using it from now on! ^_^
Hi Heather! This retired teacher has a GOLDEN together life with her NERDY or IT MAN. Ever since the 1980s hubby has kept the family’s computers and operations going. In June we celebrated our 50th anniversary. Presently he has 2 “babies” in the basement (computers). One with bling – clear case with 3 colored fans. The last few years his birthday present has been the components for a new computer that he assembles and tests for various programs, before gifting it to our sons, grandkids or extended family. He then takes their old computer to see what he can reuse. Some parts he donates to a computer repair shop. Some guys play golf, bike, or do other sports. My NERDY IT MAN plays with computers.
Love the Unicorn sign. My 6. year old granddaughter loves unicorns. Just finished writing a children’s adventure story for my 6. year old granddaughter – Unicorn Rosy Rose Sparkles Summer Adventure with Sammy the Squirrel and Finny the Dolphin. Unicorn Rosy Rose Sparkles is watching me at my computer desk as I type. My 9. year old granddaughter helped with the photo shoot and read my first draft. Planning a Barbie and Unicorn Cousin Camp with my 2 granddaughters Sunday thru Tuesday. Yes, our family is a little NERDY! Thanks for sharing your NERDY adventure. Best wishes.
I love that! IT guys are the best! My computer at church has a clear case and RGB fans in it, too. My son built it. The color makes me happy. And let’s face it, sometimes we all need something to brighten our day a bit. ^_^
Unicorn Rosy Rose Sparkles sounds delightful!
In fact I prefer this type of hero, I’m still waiting for the prototype hero in romantic novels to stop being the muscular man with huge arms and square jaw, there are many cute and nice guys who are Thinner, not so muscular or just They don’t go to the gym haha.
If we women can accept heroines who are not the classic curvaceous with thick wavy hair and light eyes we can also change the type of hero.
You’re so right! Heroines can be slender, curvy, “normal” weight, or overweight. They can be nerdy or sexy or think of themselves as plain. They can be introverted, extroverted, or somewhere in-between. Yet we pigeon-hole our heroes into some very specific categories. He can be smart, but he still has to be super sexy…just with glasses on. ;) It might just be time for a hero revolution! ^_^
I agree, it’s great to see all different types of heroes, including nerds! I feel like romance novels have been fine with a range of heroines- different looks and body types, different jobs, different interests – for a while, but it heroes haven’t changed much and they should! I will look out for your book.
Yes! Life is full of variety, right? I wonder why we have it in our heroines and not our heroes? Maybe it’s that a variety of heroines means everyone has a heroine they can relate to…but since men aren’t the primary readers of romance, we don’t really cater to their variety? Hmm… It’s worth pondering. Either way, I’m with you. Variety is good!
Yes my nerdy husband is still sexy at 67. (smiles) I grew up surrounded by nerds and love them all
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Lori! Nerds are the best, hands down. :-)
I have to say, I don’t mind nerdy heroes! They are more the “norm” sometimes than the other typical heroes we read about! I personally know a lot more people who’d be called nerds than your typical hero for sure! Just like I like women who don’t have model looks and have brains, I like men who aren’t necessarily buff, too!! They don’t have to have six-pack abs to be sexy!
Right!? I think we forget sometimes that one of the sexiest things about a person is their attitude. Someone who is kind is sexy. Someone who is confident (not arrogant) is sexy. Someone who is humble is sexy, too. Oh! And a sense of humor is sexy, too. I think many men would say the same about women, too. It’s the person that matters, not the package.
I married (52 years) an electrical engineer. I say he is a genius. He says he is not. I think I am correct. He is such a brainiac it makes my head spin. So, I say…why not a hunky brainiac as a hero? I have one. ☺❤
Glad you had a good family vacation.
Hahaha! A hunky brainiac, huh? I love it! Congrats on 52 awesome years!!
I am so glad you were able to have a family vacation. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
An Informal Date was such a good story, since we’re talking about nerdy guys. Heather, you have all kinds of heroes in your stories, and I’m hooked on all of them.
So glad you managed a family holiday!