In 2020, he started middle school. Seeing him do ventriloquism, his teacher asked “why don’t you teach others”. No puppets for all, so he innovated with socks. Around 10 kids learned every week. Then pandemic hit, two years the world was at home. Then came high school. And now he is graduating.

I had read that kids struggled getting back to school & socializing. No one knew the far fetched effects of the long breaks. Masks covered smiles and emotions. Younger kids found it harder. How will he cope with it worried us.

He mentioned a theatre audition at school and that he will not get it, so he is not going. We pushed him, we got angry with him and scolded. Finally he succumbed to our pressure. That is his nature, he does not like change, food, clothes, no change. ‘Careless’ is the word he might not agree. But once he gets into it, it is tough to get him out of it. So adamant.. annoyingly so at times.

He auditioned and got the part of Charles Wallace in A Wrinkle in Time. He started enjoying it. Then came Woodstock in A Good man Charlie Brown, Puck in A midsummer night’s dream, Vice Principal Douglas Panch in Spelling Bee Musical, Dr. Einstein in Arsenic and old Lace, Reverend Parris in The Crucible, Pugsley in Addams family and finally he is wrapping high school theatre as Sebastian in Cinderella Musical.

As he graduates we are thinking of the route he takes. Over this time he had also taken interest in animation. So it was between a theatre major or animation. My logic was that if you are spending money to learn, do what you love. Unlike me who found school & college as an inescapable chore & not an opportunity to learn what I love and grow.

It is a tough decision. Study for job prospects or study your passion. He got accepted for theatre in a few places. But is it the right route? I don’t know.

His sister did the community college route, and came out well with less spent and no college debt. We are all leaning on the same so he can go and learn a few different things and see what he really likes and decide in a year or two. His sister went with computer in mind & graduated in economics.

I asked if he wants a gap year and do some animation classes and explore the real theatre scene. But kids are worried about losing a year even though no one will care when they are in their thirties.

As part of a comedy event, he recently did a live ventriloquism act to a packed audience. I asked him if he wants to pursue that. He did not say anything. I am equally annoying at times.

We can write philosophies about life, but when it comes to kids we are nothing but a worrying parent. We told him we are with him but know that education should also improve our opportunities to survive in this world. That is a primary need.

Go LEARN! all you love, explore options, widen your canvas. But understand that this world will quickly strip the ‘L’ out of LEARN & shout EARN! EARN! EARN!