School Has Started.... For Me...

Last spring school really got busy and I had a heavy load keeping up with my classes but I finished 14 units with all A's. I even got a letter from the dean or president of Grossmont (whatever he is called) commending me and saying I was on his "list" Doug scolded me for throwing it away, but really, what in the heck would I do with it?

So this was my first week of classes for the fall semester. For the 3rd semester in a row, I dropped History of Rock Music (satisfies humanities requirement). There is no end to the cr*p I have gotten from Doug and now Kyle about this one, but really, I can do it next semester. I substituted an aerobic walking class which now gives me 12.5 units as opposed to 14, and I can take both next semester and have 12.5 as opposed to the 8 I would have taken.

Which brings me to my only night class. Last spring when I met with one of the school counselors to discuss transferring to a 4 year she noticed a not so good grade on one of my old - straight from high school - college classes (what a shock!) The class was listed on my transcript as "Intro to Fiction" I was halfway through that semester and taking "Intro to Literature" which was almost an identical class to the original class, but the counselor was certain that the 4 year wouldn't think it was the same class, so she said I needed to take "Intro to Fiction Writing". Freakin' scary.

I am pretty certain that there are TONS of people who want to write and be recognized for their writing, I am not immune to this desire, in fact, I have a number of "started" stories. But the idea of actually finishing one and putting it "out there" for criticism whether constructive or not is terrifying to me.

Last night was my first "Intro to Fiction Writing" class. The instructor, so far, seems really great and I feel comfortable because I like to think that I am a pretty well-read person so I can sort of "get" a lot of what she is saying. About 3/4 of the way through the class, she divided us up into groups of 4. My group was 3 boys and me..... let's call them Stinky, Sleepy & Twit.

Stinky was seated at the desk in front of me for the whole class and in addition to the obvious social disabilites this poor kid had he was also in some severe gastrointestinal distress. I don't think Sleepy really was you know, sleepy, but he was so quiet and by far the nicest of this male trio. Twit was just that. He brought his bike into the classroom as opposed to locking it on the bike rack three feet from the door, and if he had been sporting big bushy hair, he might have been Gerald Goode's twin. Twit was sporting a mac shirt, you know the one - with the bitten apple on the front. I had already spoken to Stinky and Sleepy, so in an effort at friendly humor I said to him: "I can see you are a P.C." Instead of words, I was met with a humorless smile. YIKES!!

really, this is the most scary of all my classes even math.

We began the "workshopping" exercise and Stinky puts forth what I initially thought of as a really overused, contrived and expected character (no I didn't say that out loud!) During his presentation, Twit was rolling his eyes, sighing and genrally giving off a very negative vibe, so I suggested a different type character. (I'm not really naieve enough to think mine was the better way to go, but I know it was more original) Twit then says "No, I'm really liking Stinky's idea" ooooookay. Each of us continue to give ideas; however, our moderator (scribe), Twit, didn't seem to hear anything I said. Until at one point, having shot down EVERY idea I contributed, I suggest a name for one of the characters (Twit doesn't hear) Sleepy heard me and repeated the name and Twit says to Sleepy "I really like that name you said!" ummm, Sleepy said "Oh, well, she....." Twit's eyes glaze over and he turns away. A few seconds later, as I attempt to give more input... you really just won't believe it... Twit says: "Shhhhhh".

Now, at this point I have a VERY QUICK mental debate over how to handle this situation finally deciding on the following exchange:

Me: "UM, did you just shush me?"
Twit: "oh, uh, what?"
Me: "Just now, did you really just shush me?"
Stinky: "I thought he did too and couldn't believe it!"
Me: "So - you just shushed me? Really?"
Twit: "OH NO! I was just about to say something and I sort of lost it."

Dang right you did - I could snap your scrawny little body between my thumb and forefinger!

Twit.