We all know Sani to be a wonderful young man. He’s intelligent and clever and has a good head on his shoulders. With his permission, I’m posting an excerpt of a conversation I had with him just moments ago via AIM about college, courses, and the future in general. We covered one possibility, perhaps the TMs could help him think of ways to expand on it, or offer other options. Here it is, then.
SanibelMan 1: Hey Chris.
ChrisCTP7176: Heya!
SanibelMan 1: Didn’t get any sleep last night.
ChrisCTP7176: Didn’t figure that you would. Don’t take a nap today. Stay awake till nine or so, and then go to bed. Get yourself back on schedule.
SanibelMan 1: That’s what I plan to do.
ChrisCTP7176: Have you been looking at colleges yet?
SanibelMan 1: A few.
SanibelMan 1: Carleton College in Minnesota and Sarah Lawrence College in New York, to be specific.
:::brief discussion about Chris’ plans:::
ChrisCTP7176: What about you?
SanibelMan 1: I’m really not sure yet. Leaving my options open. If I go to SLC, it’d be more of a general education, and I’d get a bachelor’s in Lib Arts, and then go from there.
SanibelMan 1: But SLC has the kind of education I want. I’m just so tired of studying for tests, instead of learning for the benefit of the education. Everything I do is aimed at passing tests and SAT prep.
ChrisCTP7176: I understand. If I’d gone to college when I graduated HS, I’d have been an English major. Can’t do a whole lot with that.
ChrisCTP7176: But all I knew at that point was that I wanted to be a starving writer.
SanibelMan 1: Hey, I’m considering English as a major. Don’t dash my hopes of a good job yet. [smile]
ChrisCTP7176: Well, its not like there’s NOTHING you can do with it…you could be an English teacher or a professor if you go to school long enough. Or you could do journalism or something. An English major is pretty broad, you’d just need to figure out exactly what you wanted to do with it and take the right courses for that later on.
SanibelMan 1: I mean, I gots me a good ol’ handle on the english language. Ain’t gonna have me no problems at all getting me a good job.
ChrisCTP7176: Ayup. If’n ya work hard and do all what them teachers tell ya, you’ll be ebble ta git yerself a nice, cushy job at the loadin’ dock…in management.
SanibelMan 1: That be the life, y’know?
ChrisCTP7176: :::nod::: Be able to hang out up in the office, and look down on all the workers. Prop your feet up on your desk, push your hair (all four strands of it) away from your face, light up a big fat stogie and leer at your secretary. Her name’s Rhonda…and she has bleached blonde hair with about four inches of black roots.
SanibelMan 1: Oooooh yeah.
ChrisCTP7176: You’ll wear some of those high-class brown polyester pants…y’know, the kind with the seam down the front of each pantleg. And a short-sleeved blue and yellow plaid shirt, with a white tie that has coffee stains on it.
ChrisCTP7176: And your office will have dark brownish green shag carpeting. And orange chairs.
SanibelMan 1: Mmmmmmmm.
ChrisCTP7176: 
SanibelMan 1: Speaking of shag… what’s Rhonda doing after work [qm]
ChrisCTP7176: Squealing and giggling while you chase her around your desk, of course.
SanibelMan 1: Oh, goodie.
SanibelMan 1: Will she press charges tomorrow [qm]
ChrisCTP7176: Nah…not until you decide she’s a worthless secretary and replace her with a younger, prettier thing…Bobbie Sue.
SanibelMan 1: Jailbait…
SanibelMan 1: That’s how I like 'em.
ChrisCTP7176: Yeeeeeeeeeeaah. <g>
SanibelMan 1: And when I’m done, I’ll go down to the company bar and brag to my buddies.
SanibelMan 1: And then go home so my bitchy wife can yell at me, and my 6 kids can scream at me.
SanibelMan 1: Yep, there is no finer life.
ChrisCTP7176: Yup. Over dinner. Which consists of day-old meatloaf, boiled taters, and canned string beans.
ChrisCTP7176: Jello salad for dessert.
SanibelMan 1: Ooooooh…
ChrisCTP7176: I so envy you, Sani.
SanibelMan 1: Of course, my 16 year old daughter will take the time to announc she’s pregnant and running off with her boyfriend, who’s in a band no one’s ever heard of and has multiple drug charges against him.
ChrisCTP7176: And your triplets, Lou, Joey, and Ray will all have chicken pox, and they’ll be scratching each other and playing Projectile War with the scabs.
ChrisCTP7176: (eeeewww)
SanibelMan 1: You have an overactive imagination there.
SanibelMan 1: And not necessarily in a good way.
ChrisCTP7176: The three year old will join in the fun by tossing clumps of meatloaf across the table…at you.
Your ONE normal child, twelve-year-old Jane, will quietly finish her dinner, rinse off her plate, clean up the house and toss a load of laundry in the washer before she heads up to her room in the attic to read and cry and wonder aloud if she was adopted.
SanibelMan 1: I’ll make sure to yell at her if she ever gets bad grades and argue with her about going to college, since that’s expensive.
ChrisCTP7176: Yup. And then you and the wife (Clara) will settle down in front of the TV set and watch reruns of Matlock…and you’ll talk about how smart he is and argue during the commercials about “whodunit”. And even if Clara was right, you’ll whop her across the face for arguing with ya.
SanibelMan 1: Our relationship is built on her knowing her place in the household.
ChrisCTP7176: Damn straight. Mouthy bitch.
SanibelMan 1: ;;clinks our glasses of malt liquor together to affirm what you said;;
ChrisCTP7176: ::swig::
SanibelMan 1: Mmmm, yeah, that’s the stuff.
Sounds like a great future and an enviable day-in-the-life, doesn’t it? Do your dream, Sani! I believe in you!
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