I recall one of the meaner Dilbert strips: an administrative assistant mentions to the epinonymous engineer in passing, "My son is failing all his classes. I'd like him to get a career in computers." Dilbert answers unwisely, "What -- carrying them?" His dejected look on the third panel seems to convey a mixture of guilt at his careless remark, and the sad realization of its truth.
"Carrying them" is something an engineer might say at a party to his nerdy friends. It's an easy thought for an educated person who lives by his skills, when he considers the horde of apparently willfully ignorant American youth with the illusion of privilege -- the same frat-boy types who made his childhood miserable. But when I face a mother who says to me more or less what Dilbert's coworker said, how do I respond? How do I tell her what she secretly knows -- that young folk with no drive for success will no longer be able to reap the benefits of their parents' hard work? The wise thing then is to say nothing, and contemplate the mixture of good fortune, hard work, and privilege (at least the privilege of proper upbringing that taught one to value education) that got one as far as one has gotten.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
It doesn't seem to ring any particular kind of truth with me.
It seems more true that the kid's problem is that they aren't part of a fraternal network that is willing to show them the answers every now and again. The reason why she's asking about computers is that he may well suffer any number of stereotypical characteristics, syndromes, or tics that are commonly associated with both "computer people" and those not well off at all.
I would ask "Why computers?" The answer may very well be "because he skips all of his classes to write games on the dang things", as well as the above, at which time he may very well have a certain kind of career in front of him.
I should also note that the hard work of developing oneself within education may in no way translate to anything resembling success, and in fact may force one from of accepting conventional forms of success.
*nods* Not sure if you're still reading, but i do agree with your assessment: the young man may be of the right character for success, but lack the right companions.
Post a Comment