How we spent a sunday afternoon.

My high school sophomore has a learner's driver permit. He needs an adult licensed driver to accompany him wherever he wants to go or needs to go.  Last Sunday, December 3, 2017 was such a day.  I accompanined him driving to a well-to-do family's house for some yard work.

After we arrived, he asked me if I would stay and help him because it was a two-person job.  I did not have any other plans.  During fours of raking leaves and bagging them, we did not talk much.   The only complaint from him was that he said his back hurt. I took the opportunity showed him the correct postures at doing repetitive jobs.  

During a water break, the husband ask him, "when you become rich and wealthy  later on, would you still want to do the yard work yourself or would you rather hire someone do it for you?"  With a bit pause, he answered, "I would rather hire someone do it.” It is his answer that prompted me to write about this simple yard work experience.  He did not reply with his standard  "I do not know" answer. He anwerred with a definitve preference. 

The wife asked where he is interested in going to college.  At first, he replied, “I do not know”, which is his standard, teenager- leave- me -alone answer.  The husband cut in and said "What are your top three choices?”.  To which, he said “I kind of like Chicago, Cal Tech, and my friends like University of Illinois".

The wife said “what about the other Institute of Technology”, we could infer that she meant “MIT”.  He murmured “I would like that too if I can be accepted”. 

The husband looked at me, and said to him “I noticed that you did not mention any our local Universities, why?”  and then he continued to list the names. To which there was no answer.

Though I was not very surprised by his choice of schools, that was the first time that I hear him talk about it. 

As always, he could not leave without being asked about his situation of girlfriend.  He summarized “no, not yet.” I answered for him “used to.”  He agreed “yeah, used to, not anymore.”  Leave it like that for now.

When it was time for payment, he did all the talking, afterall, it was his job.  We thanked the couple and mentioned that this was part of his ongoing fundraising campapgn for his upcoming school trip overseas.  

That was how a beautiful Sunday afternoon went.
 

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• Good luck with your son! -小团圆- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/04/2017 postreply 08:22:13