I finally went back to high school today, summer vacation having
             ended. It was just one week long this year, but it felt like an eternity
             to be away from the classroom that long. I don't know what to do with
             myself outside the school; I actually convinced my mom to set up a little
             table and chalkboard (the one I played with as a kid) in our dining room,
             and to sort of pretend to be my teacher. She didn't exactly try hard to
             act the part. Instead, she took this as a chance to tell me stories, these
             boring stories about her life and the past and stuff, which she always
             wants to tell me but which I always do my best to ignore. Well, here was
             her chance. Yes, I suppose, I am addicted to schoolâ€"so she had found a
             back door, so to speak, into my attention.
             I'm thinking right now of two things that she "taught" me last
             weekâ€"that is, two stories she told me. For one thing, she was telling me
             how summer vacations used to be three or four months long. I was shocked
             by this so I raised my hand, and she called on me. "What did you do for
             four months'" I asked, and she answered, with a satisfied smile, "Nothing!
             Nothing at all!" I was horrified. Nothing at all' That's exactly what
             I've learned my whole life to despise. Because, how would that look on
             your resume' Four months, nothing produced or achieved' It may be kind of
             fun now, if you're a real slacker or something, but it can only come back
             to haunt you in the future, when all your hopes and dreams, economically
             and romantically and everything else, come crashing to the floor under that
             weak, weak foundation you have built for yourself.
             Although I was overwhelmed with these feelings as soon as my mom
             uttered those awful words, I did not tell her about these feelings of mine
             right then, because she did not ask if anyone had any questions or
             comments; instead she launched righ...