EXHIBIT A:
    During the spring of my junior in high school I was as unsure of what I "should do with [my] life" as any other mid-range teen approaching her last year of high school in this country. I also had a knack for taking tests. When the junior counselor mentioned that he had a battery of apptitude tests he could administer on demand that might help me made the critical decisions that are considered the primary shapers of one's future, I was more than game, I was exhilarated.
    The battery of tests took about an hour and a half to complete. I worked with a seriousness of purpose that is typical of those hoping that to procedure to which they are applying themselves will illuminate possible futures. Imagine my surprise when upon scoring my results, the counselor's first comment was a joke, "According to your results, you accomplished the impossible! You cheated on an aptitude test!" He went on to explain that my carefully considered answers came out such a jumble that the only thing he could determine with any certainty is that I "should not work with people."
    I was okay with this, as I am a lover of solitary pursuits. The curious aspect to all of this, though, is that I actually am very good with people and many of my professional pursuits have involved close, sensitive and rewarded work with people.

EXHIBIT B:
    Throughout junior high and high school (1963-1969), which I attended on Guam, where I was being raised, pregnant teens in the classroom, while not epidemic, was also not uncommon. At the beginning of my 8th grade year, one of my classmates was pregnant, carried to term, delivered, was absent for a week or so then returned, picking up her schooling as though she'd been absent by reason of severe illness. She remained a distant classmate through high school, eventually graduating with honors. She went on to the University of Guam to become a teacher. I never saw her child; there was never a reason for her to bring the child to school.
    When I was a sophomore in high school a friendly acquaintance with whom I shared home room, a couple of classes and a birthday (same day, same year) became pregnant by her long time boyfriend. At the time I was teaching myself astrology and worried, for a moment, that the same fate awaited me. She carried throughout the winter and spring, delivered during the summer and she and her boyfriend returned to school in the fall of our junior year. Although neither she nor he graduated with honors, they graduated. Once again, although, this time occasionally having conversations with her (since we, once again, shared the same home room and a few classes) about her child, more often our conversations were about school and general life concerns.
    When I was a senior in high school I indulged myself in a short day and worked writing for the local newspaper during the afternoon. My feature column beat was the Department of Education. One of the stories I decided to pursue was sex education in school. Part of my research involved visiting the county health department's reproductive services division at Guam Memorial Hospital, which was a large office just off the maternity ward. As I walked through the ward I recognized a one time very good friend of mine, same age, same grade in school. Our relationship had foundered when the Department of Education had redrawn districts between my junior high and high school years and she had been assigned to George Washington High while I remained at JFK High. She was sitting up in a bed, fully pregnant, waiting for her labor to indicate that she was ready to deliver. We were overjoyed to see one another. She wasn't married but intended to marry the father of the child once she'd graduated from high school. Her plan was to then go on to the University of Guam and major in Physical Education.

- posted by Gail Rae @ 15:10   email...this post