Fives and Tens (Journalism)

   Just as a note, this continues past the jump. Click the READ MORE thing. It means there's more to read.

     Congratulations! You, and everyone else in the journalism class have not only dropped out of high school, not only now have a child to take care of, even if some of the class is gay/asexual/antisocial/robotic, but you also have no support, even from the Twenty Three other former juniors and seniors who were also saddled with taking care of a kid that quite probably isn't theirs either, let alone your family. On the bright side, though, you get a car, free of charge. Enjoy it!

     You don't get a free driver's license, though. The entire class was given the assignment, though, so a slew of former students, now homeless and jobless, were sent to the computer lab to do research with the magic of the internet. 'Cause, you know, people who lose their jobs and homes overnight have access to the internet, even without electricity...or heat. Or running water.



     In any case, I lack a driver's license, as you may have guessed from my earlier comment. I kinda wish I remembered that I could have tried pushing the car all the way down to a dealer to sell the thing, and give at least some money to start with. After the first theoretical night, I also wished I had bought a pacifier, as I know exactly how loud a baby is. (Answer: Loud enough one can hear it over New York City, where the dead of night are not only wide awake, they are willing to do anything to stop the gorram noise!)

     Many, many others also forgot those pacifiers themselves, so I imagine stores across New England were perplexed by the sudden demand for pacifiers from students in their late teens.

     You know, that's what I should have had as a job. Norman, Pacifier Salesman! I might even have made some money that way, as opposed to slowly trekking across the city in the dead of winter to scratch out an income of $12.00 per hour as a janitor. Of course, I didn't become one, so the point's moot. Oh, yes, I did find an apartment, after spending several frustrating hours attempting to navigate a website which not only refused to show any listings without giving up personal information, but was stupid enough to leave the user's current password in the URL, where someone passing by can glance over, and write it down.

     Others were guilt-tripped into wishing they had bought a toy or something for the kids after all was said and done. I was a little more concerned with getting the kid some food, as between the low paying janitorial work, utilities, and rent, I had to live off ramen and sandwiches, with baby food and formula to support the kid. Not exactly the high class lifestyle, unlike Rory's, who managed to snag a job as nanny that included an apartment in the deal. Props to her for that, and I wish I could have hit that one.

     Ben took pride in his ability to move away from home, and start anew. He drove his car to the dealer, then sold it. Meghan, on the other hand took great pride in that she put consistent effort into the assignment. Me, I took pride in my simulated ability to garner a job without a drivers license, as a student ID doesn't cut it, so my theoretical self may have been doing something slightly illegal to get that job. I'm not checking.

     It was a valuable experience for the class, I think. Most kids really don't know what it's like to live near minimum wage, actually having to worry about rent, as opposed to having it make a slight dent in the income. That difference was enough that Ben was motivated to get a good job, and finish his education. Meghan found herself learning to budget properly. It reminded me of what I see should I walk outside and go down the street a bit, past the cemetery (lovely image, that.) and into Lawrence, where it's right there.

    Still, I can't honestly say it was a waste of time. It certainly wasted a lot of time, to echo one of Ben's comments, but it was worth doing. The research led to some very interesting new knowledge, such as the fact that I make a horrible parent. As Meghan had pointed out to me, though, the budgeting the class did would be useful later, should anyone in the class end up in a similar situation.

    Thinking on it, though, none of us would have succeeded all that well, had it been real. Rory likely wouldn't have gotten that job, for instance. I, and a few others, really don't stand a chance of having a kid to take care of, either. I just figure I was living off of sandwiches, so I, at least, was pretty screwed over.

     You know, I just thought of something. A kid out of nowhere arrives at the home of someone who had no chance of having a kid at all. I think I've heard a story about something like that before.