She Was Not Impressed
A Walk Through An Affluent Neighborhood Leaves Me Feeling Ignoble
Whoever said there is no such thing as perfect was wrong. The weather is perfect on this fall day in one of Austin’s nicer neighborhoods. If it were cloudy, I would likely be a bit chilly, but the sun is hugging me like a warm blanket.
Delightfully satisfying is the sound of fallen red leaves as they crunch beneath four snow-white paws belonging to my Corgi named Francis.
Life really is good. Francis and I cross the street to let a walker pass by without being growled at by a furry low rider with a Napoleon complex.
Francis growls at people often but more times than not, they laugh it off and tell me how cute they think he is. While my opinion of my own dog is biased, I must admit, he is pretty darn cute.
After crossing the street, Francis and I walked past a nice brick house on a corner lot, where I saw a teenage boy raking leaves in the front yard. The teenager was not alone, he was accompanied by a woman standing just feet from him with her hands on her hips.
For some strange reason, I felt emboldened enough to stand there on the sidewalk and listen to the interaction between this woman and the teenager.
He caught my attention because he reminded me of a younger version of myself. He had his hair tied back behind his ears and he was wearing a Heavy Metal band shirt. I’m pretty sure I even had that same shirt!
I realized quickly that he was not related to the woman. I could tell by the questions she was asking him that they had not been very well acquainted with one another.
She asked him where he attended High-School. He replied to her stating the name of his school. It was a very prominent school, arguably an academically challenging one.
She then asked him if he knew the girl that used to rake her leaves. “I have not met her,” he said. “She makes very good grades” the woman replied. “How are your grades?” she then asked.
I admired his honesty as he told her that he struggled in school and did not make good grades. “Well, that’s a shame,” she told him. “You’re attending a very good school that will prepare you for a good university.”
“Where are you planning to study?” she then asked. He told her “I don’t plan to go to college, my friends and I started a band and I want to pursue music”.
It was clear at this point that she was not impressed, he clearly did not live up to her standards and she was not afraid to let him know.
She continued comparing him to the girl who had raked her leaves before. How bright she was and how successful she would surely be in life, making the implication that he would not amount to much.
The teenager was me 12 years ago. I had agreed to rake leaves for this neighbor to earn a bit of money. I’ve gone through most of my adult life without thinking about this interaction. Her opinion does not matter any more now than it did then, but crossing the street today took me down memory lane.
What gave her the right to judge me and make a prediction about the life I would go on to live?
Although the band did not last past my teenage years,
I had the satisfaction of chasing other dreams, such as becoming a film actor. Although I never made it to the big screen, I can happily say I met my wife at a casting call. That never would have happened if I would’ve let dogma determine my path in life.
The truth is my adult life has been far from perfect. I never envisioned myself at a university. After taking a few classes at my local community college, I made the decision to drop out. It did not come easy to some family members, but it was MY decision to make, and I do not regret it!
I have had over a dozen jobs since graduating high school. While some of you may cringe at that thought, I reminisce about each experience and how it shaped me into who I am today. I learned so many valuable lessons over the years doing different types of work.
I am in favor of higher education, though I do not believe it has to be college. Not all of us know what we want to do by the time we graduate high school and that’s okay! Some of us need time and experience to figure ourselves out.
“To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Perhaps instead of telling others what they should do with their life, we could empower people to live their best lives. After all, it passes by like the leaves in the wind.
Quote referenced: Quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky: “To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to …” (goodreads.com)
