Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Brainiac (01/02/25)
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TITLE: Free To Be Me | Previous Challenge Entry
By Bonnie Kronberger
01/07/25 -
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Tanner struggled with senioritis well before twelfth grade. School was such a bother and bore. Like any teenage brainiac, he knew all that needed to be known. With creativity and skill, he deflected his parent’s questions about homework and outstanding assignments, assuring them all was well. The school system seemed so broken, teaching children that missed assignments were no big deal. Late papers would be graded, without penalty. School structure worked against the parent’s ability to know due dates or current missing assignments, disrupting parental oversight to the veracity of what was actually happening in their child’s education.
Interestingly, Tanner was not motivated by Dad’s and Mom’s offer of reward for being a responsible student and obedient son. His conscience did not seem seared by mistruths or little lies. Albeit, the family contentions mostly involved school work, sneaking screen time, and family responsibilities. He wasn’t involved in any nefarious activities. His friends were normal teenagers, and most of his free time was spent at home, gaming, but only after assuring his parents he had no homework and all assignments were turned in. Generally not true. It should be noted that he usually hunkered down in the last hours and finished the assignments before the grading period ended and graduated with 3.5 gpa. It’s questionable if his high school education was of high standards, but apparently it meets the norm.
His parents preached integrity, but it seemed Tanner had a disconnect in his brain about its importance. Granted, whenever he was caught in a lie, he immediately confessed. Strangely, it seemed he felt no compunction in the lying but generally accepted blame when caught. When helping with family chores and being given instruction, his brainiac attitude responded with, “I’m aware of that.”
To be fair, Tanner had some great qualities and plenty of smarts. He was generous to a fault, giving away his bicycles to a kid who had a hard time getting to school. He failed to ask his parents first, but that’s a fault they gladly overlooked. He was on fire for Jesus in middle school but in high school his fervor cooled a bit. He was part of the youth worship team and was inspired and revived in spirit every time he attended a teen church conference. His heart was sensitive to the Lord, but his determination that he knew better than his parents was a hindrance. He pushed back on all their incentives or rewards. If it wasn’t important to him, the consequence or the discipline was okay. He’d suffer the grounding or phone lockdown. It was a matter of principle to what he valued—to be in charge of his life!
So of course, his family had low expectations of his ability to hold a job or even get to work on time, but he did surprisingly well with his jobs at Pizza Hut and Chipotles. And as for succeeding in college, well, many prayers were prayed. Tanner’s schooling experiences appeared to teach him the world had no expectation of time management, deadlines, or work ethic.
Independence Day arrived for Tanner the day he moved into the college dormitory. In his mind he believed he was independent and had outlived parental authority. He became very respectful of the family home, always calling to ask if it was okay to come and do laundry, generally acting like a polite guest and not an obnoxious, entitled son. Occasionally when his parents asked him about college assignments, he responded, “I got it. Don’t worry about it.”
His parents are trying very hard to let go significantly and give him the space to succeed or hang himself. Although Mr. Brainiac thought he was independent, well, let’s just say he’d be hoofing it on foot and going straight from high school to the workforce, if not for the love and generosity of his parents. Both parents and Tanner are doing the dance of respecting one another as both sides give and take in what is reality.
The story comes to a hopeful close. Tanner LOVES college life and is involved in student body, traveling choir, assisting with midweek youth group, and ending his first semester with satisfactory grades. Sounds like somebody is smart.
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