I am surprised the geek squad did not call me as I sat completing my English assignment before it was even assigned because I had nothing better to do. If you gave me a pair of glasses and some overalls you could have called me Steve Urkel. I put on my sneakers. I stuck the Velcro straps on, buttoned up my collared shirt and tucked it into my pants, grabbed my hand-me-down Spiderman lunch bag, and got in the car to go to school. I was ready for another day of learning. I was ready to see my teacher, madly in love with me after my hours of commitment to my homework assignments- not only the one she assigned me, but an extra worksheet ripped out of my favorite math workbook I had found and bought myself. I was in fourth grade, and there was no doubt I was a nerd. I finally realized this at the end of the year, when I recognized my only friend was the lady on yard duty. At last, it was time to move on. It was time for a clean slate. Middle School. Fifth grade. The winds of change were in the air, and they were pretty cool.
It is funny how a new pair of shoes can change your life forever. I went to a local skateboard shop and after consulting with the manager bought a pair of Vans. I knew they were cool. After all, the nice man said they were. I walked out of the store with my head high wearing my brand new clean white shoes. You see, these were not just any shoes. At last I had purchased a pair- with laces. I rolled onto my new campus one morning. I didn’t care about my pants, higher than my bellybutton, or my backpack, which was about the size of a small country and was so filled with books it was about to explode; I had the shoes. As I walked around people could see I had suddenly changed. I felt so proud I had stepped out onto a new field, made a new change in my life. As I traveled the school I openly accepted the comment, “Shadi, nice shoes!” with a thank you.
It is funny how a new pair of shoes can change your life forever. From there, my life only got better. My confidence level developed as my sense of style progressed. Day after day, I could see myself increasingly capable of meeting new people. I became a human magnet, as people began inviting me to their house to go swimming or to the bowling alley with a big group of friends. It was time to tell the lunch lady that I now had other friends to sit with.
To this day, I still do call myself a nerd. However, I do so proudly and with no regrets. I enjoy reading and will not miss a day of homework; yet time after time my developed, outgoing personality has forced me out of the confines of my room and led me to make the best friendships of my life. In fact, if my geek qualities have led me to be the person I am today, I am delighted to tell the story of my nerdy childhood.