Dream Log 26: School

I was chilling in my house when my mom showed up and told me about a really interesting prep school. It had the most challenging admission test in the world and some of the most fascinating projects and classes. Although I was done with high school already, I decided to apply just to see what it was like. A few friends did the same.

While preparing for the application process, I looked over what one of the accepted students had done. It was beyond impressive. She had perfect scores on all standardized tests, had founded a fencing club at her middle school and competed at a national level, held a debate (part of the application process) in which she totally ripped her opponent apart, and did publishing worthy biology research in her dad's lab in her spare time. For this school, that was ordinary.

After passing the first few barriers with my test scores and personal essay, I went to the campus itself to have an interview. The put together lady sitting across from me held a clipboard and pen at the ready.

"So, given how difficult and grueling life can be in this school, why do you think so many people apply?"

"Well, some might apply just to see if they could get in, and others might simply want the honor of attending such a prestigious school. However, the ones that will make it through and stick it out want to challenge themselves and grow as much as possible. They want to learn at a higher level so that they can achieve higher goals when they graduate."

The woman smiled.

"That is the answer most students give, but it is not complete," she said, turning her clipboard over to show a page with the words

Achievement

and

Environment

written in large letters.

"You forgot to mention the environmentally friendly dorms, which recapture rain water for toilets and are maintained and improved upon by the students."

I could have kicked myself for such a stupid blunder. Leaving the interview, I was handed a bag of tangram pieces and a sheet of paper with an outline of something or other on it. I had to complete it in the given time limit, though I could work wherever I wished. I headed over to some comfy sofa where a guy friend was sitting, already absorbed in the project.

"This is ridiculous," he laughed, "I mean, you really have to be a genius with impeccable social skills to get in here."

Neither of us were terribly concerned with that at this point. We knew we wouldn't make the cut. He didn't have the academics, and I didn't have the communication skills. We decided not to finish the tangrams and to simply wander around the school. As we went, I stumbled across a most interesting object. It was a brown, semitransparent cloth cut in the shape of a trapezoid with two handles coming off of the top corners. I picked it up, holding it by the handles and letting the rest flow down my back.

"Woo!" I held the fabric above my head and ran like an idiot. We were both laughing until some wind caught the fabric and boosted me into the air. After a bit of practice, I learned how to steer and ended up gliding into city alleys, where the wind funneled nicely. Some kids wearing batman costumes eyes me jealously. I almost crashed when a man with a cart of cabbages came around a corner.

"Meine Kraute!" he cried. (It turns out that isn't how you'd pluralize cabbage, but my brain didn't know that at the time.)

"Ach, entschuldigung! Ich habe Sie nicht gesehen, und es ist ganz schwer, diese Dinge zu kontrollieren." I explained, having landed safely.

"Was soll das denn?" He asked, eying the cape curiously.

"Also, ich habe es in der guten Gymnasium da her gefunden," I explained, pointing in the direction of the prep school, "Wenn ich Wind kriege, kann ich mit diesem Umhang fliegen. Es ist wirklich nicht so beeindruckend."

"Doch!" he replied, enthusiastically. He insisted that I demonstrate, so I waited for a good gust and took to the air once more. Flying, to state the obvious, is incredibly fun.