The Booger Theorem Of Good Living

Curtis Armstrong, aka "Booger"

Remember the character “Booger” in “Revenge of the Nerds“?  I loved that guy.  Mainly because the actor playing him, Curtis Armstrong,  also played a memorable character in one of my favorite movies,  “Risky Business“.

In that movie, Booger (a quick aside here – yes, I know, the character’s name was actually “Miles”, but I will never associate that person with anything but Booger, so let’s go with that, OK?)  uttered a few lines that will go down in history as one of the most astute theorems of good living ever concocted.

Yes, they were that good.  Do you remember what they were?

Here’s a little context first – Booger was the friend of Joel Goodson (played by Tom Cruise).  Let’s just say Joel was having fear issues.  When you are a bit timid like Joel (oh boy could I relate to him when I was in high school), it’s always good to have a friend that can give you a little kick in the you-know-what.

Especially in a way that is so elegant, and so well constructed,  that it can actually qualify as a theorem – something that can be demonstrated to be true.

And it was demonstrated right in the movie – no, not by Joel’s dance in his underwear to “Old Time Rock and Roll“,  but by his winning of his “Future Enterprisers” contest, and his subsequent acceptance into Princeton.  How he gets to that point was quite interesting (after all, it is a movie), but the theorem test was met.

And those words?  Since this is a PG blog, I have taken the liberty of presenting an edited version:

“Sometimes you gotta say “What the #*@&”, make your move. Every now and then, saying “What the #*@&”, brings freedom. Freedom brings opportunity, opportunity makes your future.”

That’s  the Booger Theorem.

I know, it’s been condensed and reworded (you know who you are, Nike) many, many times since then, but the theorem has stood the test of time.

And it has worked it’s way into my consciousness in a way that other theorems could only hope to (you know who you are, Pythagorean Theorem).

For the Booger Theorem is where fear is conquered and the risk is taken.  You are free.   Opportunity is there for the taking.

Doors swing open, your path and purpose unfolds, and the good life awaits.

(A cautionary note:  Just be sure that whenever you do decide to fully apply the theorem, it’s in accordance with established law, and doesn’t hurt anybody.  Because if that happens, it isn’t Booger egging you on anymore.  It’s his evil twin.)

Just think about it for a second – go back to your successes in life.  How many of them were preceded by the utterance of some reasonable facsimile of the key exclamation of the Booger Theorem?

See what I mean?  There’s always that moment when we let go of the fear.   We win.  The powers that paralyze us lose.

Find the Booger in your life – someone who can help you get over that hump. And if you’re lucky, that person won’t be named… Booger.

Note: 6/17, 2:15PM EST – Thanks to Dude (see comments below) for correcting my spelling on “Theorem”.    I’ve made the proper corrections to the original post.