The week that was has ended. I had two tests, made a group law presentation, and had a snow day and something very much like a dream sequence.
The snow began about the time I got out of class on Wednesday and continued until about 10 p.m. We had about four inches of snow, I figure. It was more than enough to make a snowman and an obscene quantity of snow cream, a treat I had not enjoyed since I was a teen-ager,
By Wednesday evening, Thursday morning classes had been cancelled. By 8 a.m., Thursday, the powers that be finally threw in the towel and called off the remaining classes.
This is my second snow day in 36 days, something I had not anticipated upon my return to Mississippi, which isn’t generally thought of as being in the Snow Belt.
Normally, four inches of snow would be the highlight of any day. But something happened earlier that day has eclipsed Mother Nature.
Have you ever had one of those nightmares where you find yourself in some awkward, embarrassing situation? Like maybe you are sitting in class and you realize that you are naked? Or that you are taking a test and you don’t know any of the answers?
Well, something sorta like that happened to me Wednesday morning.
I sauntered into my Intro to World Geography class at five minutes before the hour, thoroughly prepared for what our professor warned us would be the most difficult Map Quiz of the semester, since it encompassed not only all of Europe but Russian and the former USSR Empire as well.
This is definitely one instance where I wish I had taken this class 30 years ago when I was a student at MSU for the first time. Back then there was Europe and one huge section of the map called Russia.
Now, there are any number of former Russian states who insist on having their own names and slivers of area on a map. It’s a hopeless jumble of “stans’ – everything from Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan and a half dozen “stans’’ whose names I can’t recall.
So preparing for this Map Quiz was demanding enterprise.
But I felt that I had a pretty good handle on things as I moved down toward the front of the classroom to my seat.
About halfway down, I noticed that a girl was sitting in my seat. That’s odd, I thought, since we had been assigned seats after the second class. Also at the front of the room I noticed a professor at the lectern shuffling through some papers. This wasn’t my professor, though. My first thought: “Professor Mylroie must be ill and this is a substitute.’’
And then I realized that it wasn’t only the teacher I didn’t recognize. I didn’t recognize any of the students.
At that is when I looked at my watch. It was 10:58 a.m.
One problem: My Geography class was at 10 a.m.
I had missed the entire class, as well as the map quiz.
Now, it’s one thing to miss a regular class. But when “the hardest Map Quiz of the semester’’ is scheduled for the class you meet, it arouses a justifiable suspicion.
When I got home, I emailed Professor Mylroie, explained the embarrassing details on my absence and asked her if I could please, please take the test.
She relented. I took the test today in her office. She graded it on the spot.
Perfect Score!
That means in three Map Quizzes, I have missed a one question.
Showing up seems to be the biggest problem in my Geography Class.
In Mass Media Law, my little group gave its presentation on a test case. We are competing with the other five groups in the class. Professor Goodman says it’s between us and one other group. We can earn bonus points by presenting a rebuttal case to any of the other presentations on Monday and my group elected me to present it on the theory that being contrary comes natural to me.
On Tuesday afternoon, I was one of 20 students invited to interview with New York Life. They are looking to fill two positions pending graduation of the “winning’’ candidates. The interview went well. I was one of four students who will be invited back for Interview No. 2.
Now all I have to do is get excited about selling insurance. Not sure I’ll get there.
What I think I’d really like to do is be a fund-raiser. I think it would fit my skills and personality. I have experience in fund-raising, after all, from my childhood: “Mama, can I have a quarter? The ice-cream truck is coming!’’
She always said yes, me being her baby boy and all. So I figure I have about 45 years of fund-raising experience.
So I think maybe I’ll be a fund-raiser when I grow up.
Or maybe I’ll sell insurance or teach English composition.
I’m open to any and all possibilities.
Life seems a little happier these days, for many reasons and one in particular that I cannot divulge just yet.
The MSU Student Council elections are next week, but I don’t know who I will vote for. I have shoes that are older than the candidates.
I am open to bribes, of course.
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