NERDS!

2006-05-11 - 10:02 a.m.

Another in my series of Why I'm Too Old To Be Cool.

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I was a lonely child, and a lonely teenager, and a lonely man. And, like most lonely people, TV became my friend. I often wished life could be like TV - problems were solved quickly, family and friends usually came up with fast solutions to problems, and it all worked out.

This was, of course, before "Married...With Children".

Anyway. Quite awhile ago, I was talking with co-workers about various shows. I mentioned that I wouldn't mind having Steve Urkel as a friend.

The response was immediate: amazed looks and you-gotta-be-nuts.

My response was fairly clear and, I thought, well-reasoned. Yes, he's a nerd. Yes, he's annoying as all get-out. Yes, he's clumsy. Yes, quite a few of his inventions blow up. Yes, he's into truly odd things, like accordian music and cheese.

But if you look a little closer, there's more under the surface.

He's fiercely loyal to his friends. He's totally devoted to the woman he loves, even though she wants nothing to do with him. If he screws up and someone else gets in trouble, he owns up to it and doesn't let them just twist in the wind. He stands up for injustice, no matter what it is.

There was one episode in which the school bully found out he had lukemia. Steve started a blood drive to save the guy's life...despite the fact that this guy was one of Steve's tormentors.

Yeah, yeah, I know - it was in the script.

But despite it all, wouldn't someone like that - with all those positives - be worth having as a friend? Is there someone you know who's like Urkel, who might be worth having as a friend despite their (in your view and others') shortcomings?

Something to think about, isn't it?

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Be seeing you.

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