If I could use one word to describe the week that I’ve have had, I would, no doubt, use the word ‘Crash’.
Why? No, I didn’t get into a car accident (if that’s what any of you are wondering) but I did begin college this week… Well I was supposed to, at least. This fall I was supposed to be attending the only community college that lies here in the suburbs — Mt. San Jacinto College, but sadly, a lot of factors had to do with why I didn’t successfully get into college. You see, I could easily lie to you and tell you that I didn’t enroll in classes like every other kid from this city did because of the fact that the college was overcrowded, it was too expensive, I didn’t have the right transportation, they didn’t have the courses I was interested in, but no, instead I’m going to give it to you straight-up because this is my column and I’d rather not lie to the audience every Friday.
Although, some of the factors above are extremely true, the reason why I didn’t enroll in classes like I should have because I was too addicted to what’s been going on every night since this summer has begun: Parties; It got to the point where I didn’t even realize that Fall was around the corner. The only thing I was interested in was if I’d have enough money to pitch in for beer and that I was sure that I’d be able to have my pack of Marlboro Smooths for the long night. Last week, on a Saturday morning, I woke up horrified at the fact that school was beginning on the following Monday morning and I still hadn’t enrolled in any classes.
So in the end, as a last resort, I did what any other 18-year-old who procrastinates does, I decided that I’d attend school with someone whom was actually prepared for the event, Jamie Austin Perdue. Jamie had registered in mid-July while I was spending my days living in my Absolut bottle that I had gotten as a birthday gift from a friend. This past Monday morning, Jamie and I had attended Sociology 101, a class that I didn’t really care for due to the fact that I was crashing it. But of course, when you’re crashing a class, it’s always an important fact to remember that if there isn’t enough room for the good little boys and girls that actually DID register, all of the crashers in the class are booted along with the stares of all of the other students in their seats; which is exactly what happened to Jamie and me.
The following day Jamie had yet another class to attend at the campus, Public Speaking, a common communications class college students take. Jamie and I took our seats as the professor entered the class and I began to get excited at the fact that I had been kicked out of the class due to lack of seats in the class. The outcome? Jamie actually got into the class, while I made my out of the classroom and into the hallway where I quickly reached for my cigarettes in my left pocket and began my journey to the parking lot, my journey in 100 degree good ol’ southern California weather.
Throughout the rest of this week, I thought of those classes (Sociology & Public Speaking) as metropolitan clubs that are overcrowded, or restaurants that you badly want to eat at but can’t get a table at due to a lack of reservations. At one point I actually envied those who actually enrolled in those classes, even Jamie, for absolutely no legitimate reason, when deep down I knew that I had no one to blame but myself. While I was having my mental meltdown in the parking lot, I had realized that another one of my friends was having a crash of her own.
Ray had recently had one night of awkward, yet, great sex with a co-worker whom she found uncontrollably sexy. The downside? She had been in a 2-year relationship with her boyfriend and this was the second time that she had slept with her co-worker. I guess this wasn’t really a good week for either of us. With two crashes in one week, and even though the week isn’t over yet, I’m planning to get everything on track because of the fact that I am making a trip down to Mira Costa College tomorrow morning for late enrollment registration — which is a good thing because the word ‘Late’ and I get along so well together, we’re practically soulmates.
– by Mike Elgin
