Guidance Counseling

In high school, he'd flummoxed his guidance counsellor, Mrs. Marsh, who told him: "Theo, I don't know what to do with you. You're too talented."

"I'm too talented," Theo agreed wholeheartedly.

"Normally, I tell students to play to their strengths, but between you and me, we both know that what I really mean is, they don't have a lot of choices. Frankly, most of the students who come through my office are screwups."

"I'm no screwup," Theo nodded.

"You're getting offered so many prestigious academic and athletic scholarships. You realize one of these schools offered you a full ride to be on their football team, and they don't even have a football team? The easiest scholarship ever."

"But not one that would offer me chances to improve or to learn from my mistakes, if I ever make one."

"That's the spirit. Meanwhile, you've already been accepted to that accelerated MBA program, the first ever high school junior. I didn't even know you were applying to an MBA program."

"No, ma'am, neither did I. They just sent me the acceptance letter in the mail one afternoon."

"I didn't know they were allowed to do that. So, Theo, that leaves us in a weird place. Generally, I sit down with students and help them understand what their options are. Really that means I help them understand what their options aren't. Like, just before you came in—do you know that girl Sally Melbourne?"

"That scoliosis is really unfortunate, isn't it, Mrs. Marsh?"

"Did you know Sally Melbourne told me she wants to be a Broadway performer? Would you believe? She stuttered through our whole interview: 'I w-w-want to b-b-be an a— a—actress!' Do you understand how easy my job is most days, Theo?"

"I thought hers was an interesting interpretation of Our Town."

"In your case, son, I'm not going to try and tell you the things you can't do, because frankly, I can't think of any. So instead I'm going to ask you to think about this before we meet again: what do you want to do?"

"Thanks, Mrs. Marsh. I really do appreciate your time. I better run off to lacrosse practice now."

"Let's meet again next week, Theo. Close the door on your way out."