Occupy Communication: Do Ask, Do Tell!

Senior year of high school was almost over. It was Friday and prom was the next day. Just before school, Dan Croft told me that no one had asked Jane, the homecoming queen-- a fun, sweet, bright, beautiful young lady-- to the prom. Everyone assumed she had a date but she and her boyfriend had broken up and no one else had asked her. Dan had a date but I didn't. "Why don't you go ask her?" The bell rang.

Mr. Alford, normally a stickler for the rules, let me out of home room when I explained. "Hurry up! get going!"

I practically ran down the hall. I explained to Jane's homeroom teacher that I had an urgent question for Jane. Jane and I went back to the hallway, and I asked her to the prom.

She looked at me oddly. "Why are you just now asking me?"

"You're super popular. Everybody loves you! All the guys assumed everyone else had asked you. I'd have asked but... I didn't really think I had a chance."

She smiled wistfully. "You're sweet. Last night I gave up hope. I decided nobody cared. I was so embarrassed not to have a date to the prom I called my cousin in Tennessee. He's going to drive two hours here to take me. I wish you'd asked sooner! I'd have been happy to go with you."

Jane made sure I got a dance the next night, ahead of the popular guys.

We both learned something about communication and assumptions.

And we both learned that sometimes people cared after all.

 

I was reminded of this reading Leigh's story on community and comments on that story at http://www.leighkramer.com/blog/2013/07/the-risk-of-community.html .

Copyright 2013, Miles O'Neal, Round Rock, TX. All rights reserved.

Occupare Die!

Occupy the Day!

Part of a facebook conversation at the end of high school winter break, 2012 ...

Michaela: Oh yeah, I do have to wake up and go to prison tomorrow. I was too busy being happy to think about such a terrible thing.

Me: Go transform school, girl!

Michaela: Yes Raul and friends, that IS the life. I can't tell the difference between our school and a factory. So, ya know... Haha Miles, always encouraging!

Me: I suppose I could be discouraging if you'd rather.

"Don't worry, Michaela, soon enough you'll walk out those prison doors, a free woman at last, only to be gutted by a very small UFO flown by a drunken, miniature Alpha Centauran. As you lay in agony, bleeding on the steps, one of the wardens will walk out, look down, and say, 'You forgot your backpack', and drop it. Right on your gut. A few minutes later, about the time you think you may be capable of moving a hand enough to grope for your cell phone, a kitchen guard will walk out, look down, and say, 'You didn't eat your last lunch room Jello'", and drop it. Right onto the hole in your gut. As a swarm of ants hurl themselves futilely against the 'lime' flavored jello (which appears to be 87 years old) you'll realize that you forgot to turn in your final final, which is most likely inside your backpack, now coated with blood, 'lime' flavored Jello, and furious ants. At this point, a small UFO will land beside your head and an interstellar cop will crawl out (looking for all the world like an over-sized ant in a blue uniform), look up, and say, 'You'll be happy to know we caught the bum who gored you, but not as happy to know that he was uninsured, and the judge let him off because he had diplomatic immunity. Good day. Say, mind if I have some of that "lime" flavored Jello?'"

Is that better?