Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Adolescence/Teen Years (07/16/09)
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TITLE: Clog Stomping | Previous Challenge Entry
By Kellie Henningsen
07/22/09 -
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“So who is it today?” she asked around the wad of gum in her mouth.
Karly slowly lifted her head from the interview papers and glared at Donna who was now perched on the side of her desk.
“Sheesh, that bad, huh?” Donna pulled the gum out; mindlessly twisting it.
“Well…if you call getting passed over for interviewing the new mayor on his first day in office and getting stuck with a homeschooling mom, bad…then, yeah, it’s bad!” Donna tossed the papers back on the desk.
“A homeschooler, huh? That oughtta be a crack up! I bet she’ll be wearing a denim jumper!” laughed Donna.
Karly snorted a bit at that one. “Oh, and her hair will be down to her waist!”
“Oh! I got one even better! On her feet…”
“Will be clogs!” both women roared at once.
“I want to hear all about it later!” Donna yelled over her shoulder as Karly went back to reading her notes.
Rebecca was a thirty something homeschooling mom of three children, but the human interest part was the fact she had been homeschooled herself. A real second generation homeschooler! “This is going to be a blast!” moaned Karly as she walked towards the interview area.
Her make-up artists fussed around her as she reclined in a chair angled towards both the camera and the seat next to her. “Karly! I want you to meet Rebecca,” announced her assistant.
A slender woman dressed in a smart black pantsuit and sporting a stylish bob held out her hand. Karly nearly tripped over her own feet as she stood to shake hands.
After the quick introduction, Karly gave Rebecca a brief run down of how the interview would go before giving the all clear to her producer. If there was one goal Karly had, it was to prove this woman was not as sheik as she seemed. Homeschooling was far too weird to look this hip.
The interview proceeded along at a steady pace with Rebecca handling each question thrown at her like a polished politician. She explained how her parents had led the homeschooling movement in her state from its earliest days. This information only confirmed what Karly knew to be true; under this façade was a denim attired, baby wearing, long haired, clog stomping, radical homeschooler!
In an effort to dig up some dirt, Karly jumped right to the teen years. “Tell me how it was for you as a teenager? Surely you missed being part of a group – you know, fitting in and all?”
“Well…to tell you the truth,” Rebecca started. Karly leaned in ready to jot down the first juicy detail Rebecca confessed to. “I did want to go to school during those years.”
Karly scribbled quickly.
“In fact, I begged my parents to send me to school more than once.”
Karly’s eyebrows shot up. “Why was that?”
“There was this girl,” Rebecca smiled and stared over Karly’s shoulder. “She was perfect. Everyone liked her. She could have any boyfriend she wanted. She was the definition of cool, and I wanted to be just like her -- which of course meant going to school.”
“What happened?” Karly questioned. “Did your parents let you go?” She leaned back with ease. Surely Rebecca went to school after all.
“No…they knew what was best for me and kept me home.” Rebecca smiled warmly. “And now, I’m doing what I know is best for my kids and keeping them home as well.”
Seeing her time was about up and feeling defeated at her lack of success in undermining this too-put-together mom, Karly searched for her last question. Surely this girl who was so popular in school turned out to do amazing things. With this thought in mind, she plunged forward, “This girl who you wanted to emulate….whatever happened to her?” she asked coyly.
“Oh, we’re good friends!” Rebecca reached for her purse and held up a picture for the camera and Karly to see. The photo centered on a mom whose long hair hung over her shoulder in a single braid. She wore her youngest child in a sling while her seven older children ranging from 2 to 14 clustered around. Her denim jumper skimmed the top of her clogs as she smiled for the photo.
Karly groaned inwardly and could barely ask the words… “Does she?”
“Oh yes!” Rebecca beamed. “She homeschools every one of them!”
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