Is It Really a Necessity?

I've tutored one of my students ever since she was in 6th grade... and now she's preparing to go away to college (Can you believe it??? The little kiddo's off to COLLEGE! Le sigh, I'm feeling a little old). This Saturday, we were finishing up some of her applications, and the topic of what to take to college came up. Ahh the excitement of planning to go away to college! I remember being there! Granted it was 10 years ago, but I still remember so vividly!

Side story: I totally remember how Annie and I packed up in my dad's blue huge van and moved into Dykstra 9 together for our freshman year as roommates at UCLA!!! We were talking all night the night before checking off all the things we should and shouldn't bring. We were such nerds because we were going through the guidelines in the orientation booklet on the "forbidden" items (ie. candles, heating devices, gas burners, etc) and TOTALLY were oober careful not to bring those things accidentally for fear of getting kicked out of the dorms. haha!

I was so completely amused at the items M was fussing over having to take. She kept saying "I have to MAKE SURE I don't forget to take these things to college. I don't know how I'd survive if I ended up forgetting it. I'd probably have to have my parents overnight it to me or something and then my parents would get mad at me. Okay Susan I'm going to show you all of them now so you can remind me not to forget it when I'm packing, okay?"

I was totally dying of horror as she was showing me some of her "must take" items but at the same time totally amused at what this 17-year old thought were necessities for her new independent life in college. I couldn't say anything to discourage her because I remember vividly being in her same shoes and all the funny things I felt I "needed,"-- and when I say needed, it was pretty much a LIFE AND DEATH need type of deal. Looking back now, it's just all so comical and funny.

Without further ado, here is the list of things M said she ABSOLUTELY needed to take and my horrified thoughts and composed responses to her:

"I have to take Mr. Platypus."

(Susan thinking to herself: Yea that's kind of cute-- worn out from the years of usage, but kind of cute. Platypus? Eh, it kind of looks like a purple duck to me... I need to watch more Animal Planet or something)

" And I can't forget Panda, isn't he so cute Susan?"

( Yea, I can see him being kind of cute-- all shaggy and stumpy.)

"Yes M he's really cute. You can snuggle with him when you get homesick!"

"Oh and I can't forget my baby pillow. I need this!"

(Ummm girl... can't you see the stuffing coming out of the corner there? And the fillings all lumpy and clumped up to one side. You can't sleep on that pillow unless you want neck cramps every morning!)

"Ummm M, do you really want to take that? I mean I don't think it would go with your comforter and stuff and your roommates and floormates might think you're kind of strange... you don't want to start off your college social status as a "weirdo" do you?

"No... but I need it... Well what about this? I need my THIS"

(Susan thinking to herself: OH EM GEEEEE! She doesn't even know what to call it and she wants to take it! I need to save her, I need to save her, ahh I can't save her... she really loves that rag thingy. I know how much she loves that rag thingy)

" ::BIG SMILE:: Oh yea that... okay I guess that's something you should pack... I know how you love to wrap it around and around your hands before you sleep. M, you can take all those things to college... but just make sure the last two you stuff in your bed and don't show people too much ok?"

Yes, and that was the end of the necessities conversation. I had to be sensitive to her wanting to pack those things-- I mean what she's going through right now is another one of those rite of passage type of things, right? I'd be a horrible person if I crushed it. And so ended another comical snippet in the tutoring/mentoring session between Susan and M.