A Classic Education

Cast: Man, woman, teenage boy

Man and woman sitting in their living room with teenage son, staring at the screen of a video game.

Son: Dad, Can I have another controller for my Wii? Everyone says that the Wii is good for my soul and my health.

Father: David, who are these “advisors” of yours? Your mother and I would like to meet them. They sound like very wise people.

David: Really, I can take you to them. I am not sure they would like to talk to you because you look so old. They are really interesting boys and girls. They are also highly educated. I wish I could be like them.

Mother: Really, in what are they educated? The arts, the classics? Why do you not call them over home and spend time with them if you really care about them and admire them?

David: Wow! Can I really do that?

Son walks up to the phone. He is about to lift up the handset when his father roars, “Stop.”

David: But, you just told me that my friends are educated, and I should spend time with them.

Mother: David, if you have not learned to interpret what we speak, how are you going to understand anyone. Can you not understand what we mean? What do you think are the classics?

David: Superman? Batman? Archie? After all they are ancient.

Both father and mother look at each other and then just stare at David.

Father (choking voice): Did you go to school? What did you do at school? Why do you think we sent you to school?

David: Of course, Dad, I was at school every day. We had after school too, and I attended all of the after school activities. I am considered one of the best at Pacman, and the second best in the school at Missileman. Everyone except Jonathan is terrific and we get to know each other. Jonathan is a loner. He has no friends and he spends all his time doing homework and studying for tests. But he is a complete ignoramus. Would you like me to be like him?

Mother: David, what is your plan for the rest of your life. We are awaiting the college results. I can see the postman has a bunch of letters for us. No one writes to us. Must be your college admissions results. Go get them.

Looks wistfully at her husband and says, “John, do you think there is any hope?”

Complete silence. Sound of door opening, David leaves the room.

David is back with a bunch of letters and a look of absolute shock on his face.

John: What happened?

David: I wrote such wonderful personal essays, and my passion with video games. Every letter looks like the same. They all wish me luck with my profession in video gaming. Is that even a job?

John: Sorry David, years of spending your time away from books generally has bad consequences.

Sound of telephone ringing.

John: Hello, who is this?

Hands the phone to David. David on phone for a few minutes.

David: Dad, no one got accepted except Jonathan. What do we do?

John: I think you need to spend some time alone without those advisors of yours, and decide on a vocation for yourself. When you are ready, we will help you get started. But till then, try to find a job for yourself. And we do not want to see you at home anymore.

David crying, leaves the house.



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