A conversation with Charlie about Chloe’s Freshman Orientation…

Charlie: Did she sit with you?

Cassie: Yes. Not at first. She was mad at me initially because we got there too early.

Charlie: Usually you’re late.

Cassie: I know. I can’t win. (Pause) Then, while we were waiting outside the auditorium, I struck up a conversation with some freshmen boys…football players.

Charlie: Dear God.

Cassie: Yea. I know. That wasn’t the right move.

Charlie: Why do you always strike up a conversation?

Cassie: I don’t know. I was in a chatty mood. I’d had some coffee and was pepped up. The boys were nice. They liked it.

Charlie: Sure they did. Poor Chloe.

Cassie: It wasn’t poor Chloe. She just ignored me. Then her friend and her friend’s mom arrived and she perked right up. We went into the auditorium and we all sat together.

Charlie: Hmmm.

Cassie: Hmmm….what?

Charlie: Did you ask a lot of, um, questions?

Cassie: No. They did have a question period for the parents alone after all the students had left for the school tours. I didn’t have any.

Charlie: Surprising.

Cassie: Well, if I had had some questions I needed answered, I would have asked them. Freshman Orientation is a perfect time to ask questions.

Charlie: Not really. Too many questions…..that’s totally annoying. It’s better to just wing it.

Cassie: Wing it! But if you don’t ask questions, then you don’t learn….then you don’t know how it all works.

Charlie: You just figure it out, Mom. For yourself. You don’t have to ask a ton of questions. Like, I get it if you have questions for a teacher in a class about math or something. But Freshman Orientation? That’s like life stuff…stuff the kid just has to figure out for himself. Not the parent.

Cassie: Wow. Can you stop growing up so fast about “winging it” and “life stuff” and “Freshman Orientation with no questions?” I guess I can see how it’s going to go when it comes time for YOUR Freshman Orientation in four years.

Charlie: Yea. We’re not sitting together.

Cassie: So rude.

Charlie: I’m just giving you a heads up now.

Cassie: Gee, thanks.

Charlie: No problem.