Advice Short Story
Carl, Not the Engineer
Carl’s parents have been saving up for college since the day he was born. Like his father, Carl was going to get his doctorate degree in engineering. Everyone in the town knew that Carl was going to be a successful engineer, except Carl himself. He did not know what he wanted to do, but the more he thought about it, the less he wanted to be an engineer. He wanted to talk to his parents about trying a different career, but was scared for how they would react. He also thought his parents knew best and they had been planning this for a while.
Carl’s parents were disappointed when they saw he was getting B’s and C’s in his math and science classes. Unfortunately, they did not even care about his A’s in geography and english. Carl knew he would enjoy a career in geography and english much more than a career with science and math. Searching online, Carl figured his parents would not approve of any of the careers he was interested in. If he wanted to change his future, he was going to have to take some risks.
After some research Carl found that his parents had moved his college savings into his own account so he could “take some responsibility”. Therefore, to access the money all he had to do was go to the bank and withdraw the $30,000. With this money Carl was going to travel the world. He crumbled up all five college acceptance letters. No need for those. He was supposed to make a decision tomorrow about what college he was heading to. Plans changed and he was getting on a plane tomorrow at 3 a.m instead. Carl could not tell his parents face to face that he was using his college money to travel the world, so he decided to write a letter. The letter stated that he had ordered a plane ticket to the West Coast where he would start his journey. He told his parents to keep in touch and to not worry.
As Carl ate his last dinner with his parents before he left, he wanted to tell them his new plan so bad. He started to question if he was making the right decision. How would he ever repay the $30,000? How would he ever get a job without going to college? Would his parents ever forgive him? He told himself he would figure something out and went upstairs to pack his bag. He fell asleep and before he knew it, his alarm was going off at 1:30. Quickly and quietly, Carl placed his note on the kitchen table and headed to the airport.
The next day he was on the West Coast. Nowhere to stay and nowhere to go, Carl just hoped for the best. He decided he would spend two days on the West Coast and then take a big risk and head to Canada. Moving fast, Carl was traveling every two to three days. He hit all sorts of different places that surprised him. He learned about so many new languages, cultures, and geographic features. He thought about what he would be doing if he was at home finishing his senior year and getting ready to go to the best engineering college he could. He knows he would've hated it and he made the right decision. Carl feels he is learning more than he ever did in school.
About a month passes and Carl is running low on money. He checks his phone and still sees only one message from his father. The message says, “We are disappointed in you.” Holding back tears, he knows they’ll forgive him when they hear his new plan. He’s scared to head home, but he knows it is time.
Carl returns to his city, but does not go home right away. He stays in a hotel room for two more days so he can surprise his family with something big. Carl walks in the house to his parents watching television. His mother’s eyes are red and puffy. You can tell she’d been crying. Before the yelling begins, Carl’s mom runs over and hugs him. Talking fast, she tells Carl how much she had worried about him. Then she gets angry. Very angry. In the middle of her rant about how much of a disappointment he is, Carl stops her to tell her he received a phone call last night with good news. He got a job! She pauses… “You got a job?” Carl goes onto explaining how he learned so much about geography and other languages, that he landed a job as a geography and spanish middle school teacher. He tells her, he is also applying to work as a tour guide in Spain during the summer. Carl’s father walks over and gives him a hug too. Carl’s father is proud.
Carl’s parents are stunned that he was hired as a teacher from traveling the world. He continues to tell them more about what he learned. His parents start to realize this might be the best choice he has ever made. They believe he learned more traveling the world, than he ever could have in college. Carl changed his plan for the better and most importantly he is happy.
