As I write this, Jeremy is getting ready to go to school, where he will have a mock interview. He had to wear business attire, so we spent a part of the weekend shopping for, fighting over, and agonizing about a suit, since he didn't own anything remotely resembling "business attire." Neither does Richard, unless you count a suit from 1976 and an ancient sports jacket, neither of which come anywhere near fitting him now. He just hasn't wanted or needed that kind of clothing. Forget ties. So Jeremy had to start from scratch, and it wasn't easy since he doesn't have patience with or understand the art of shopping.
But he looks great. He wouldn't let me take a picture, but I can tell you it's a black thin pinstripe suit with a blue gray shirt (gun metal blue) and I didn't get a good look at the tie. I think it has stripes. I couldn't talk him into anything wilder than that.
It turned out the interview isn't today, and good thing because there's a whole other part to the assignment, a portfolio. I have the feeling he isn't going to do too well because he refused to buy dress shoes, and she specified that she was serious about business attire, and referenced shoes. But I did my best. Sometimes a kid has to fail to learn that college isn't high school.
7 comments:
Robbi,
It is very difficult to watch them screw up. However, I wise man once told me, pick your battles. So that is what I do now. God help us, it never changes. To bad the boy did not let you get a photo of him in the suit. I bet he looked handsome.
Beth
The suit sounds great.
I'm not fighting. He needs to learn. And maybe he'll do better next time.
Yes Reb. It's pretty nice, but there were much nicer ties. I wish he would have bought some decent shoes and socks too!
Wow, that's a very practical and serious assignment! What class is this?
It's a career planning class. I think it's a good thing, but I think he might fail it. Odd thing is that he was the first of his crowd to have done volunteer work, since he was about 11 years old, actually, and was also the first to make a resume and go to interviews, two years ago, at the age of about 16. He got many offers and accepted one and is still working at that job.
So I think he is a good worker with a work ethic like his parents'. But he is not a very good student. I think his learning disabilities make him somewhat resentful about school. He distrusts the teachers and questions their motivations. He is unwilling to invest himself in it, having experienced negative results. I can understand that, having also shared that experience. But the difference is that he is not particularly interested in any one thing or good at it. It used to be sports, but he has quit it. Now there is nothing he particularly likes or sees his future in.
Manny's best friend Ron has a daughter, Katie who also had a learning disability. Throughout college she had to make special arrangements when taking tests because she reads more slowly than most kids. Now she's in Cal Tech., on track to being a potential Nobel-prize winning scientist. And, her decision to pursue her chosen career didn't come until she was in college.
While Katie's case is exceptional, many kids with learning disabilities are remarkably bright, and eventually do blossom in ways their parents and teachers could hardly imagine. Jeremy is a bright, sensitive boy with many gifts, some of which all of you are probably unaware of at this point. In the long run, I don't think you need to worry.
I'm sure you're right. I hope he discovers it though and doesn't end up with a terrible life, like my dad did. Without the meds, that could happen, and we can't force him to take them. However, I am hoping some woman he dates seriously will encourage him to get back on them.
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