miseducation

1.

I got home from school late last night, walking into the house with my new messenger bag slung diagonally from shoulder to hip. This bag rocks das Haus – it’s khaki-colored canvas, with five or six pockets just on the outside, Velcro straps and random buttons everywhere. And I love messenger bags, in case you didn’t know. My father peered up at me from his armchair, brushing his hand across my bag as I leaned over him to give him a hug.

Daddy-o: What’s this?

Yasmine: *shrugging* I got tired of my backpack, so I bought this instead.

Daddy-o: *winces* Couldn’t you have bought something a little more professional looking?

Yasmine: I don’t need something pretty or professional. I need a bag I can kick around when I get frustrated with school.

Daddy-o: Instead of this one, you could have gotten a nice little portfolio, or a bag to hold your laptop.

Yasmine: What laptop?

Daddy-o: It looks like a mailman bag!

Yasmine: No, it doesn’t!

Daddy-o: *shakes his head* Why do you always have to be so difficult? And different?

Somayya’s older brother, trying to be the voice of reason: It’s okay, there’s always one extremist in every family.

Daddy-o: Hippie! She’s a hippie!

Yasmine: *walks away laughing*

2.

The night before that, I helped facilitate a workshop for the university’s Student Housing division, at one of the first-year multicultural dorms. I’m starting to think I really shouldn’t be unleashed on large groups of people, because I just don’t know when to stop talking. But maybe that’s a good thing, and, besides, my colleagues kept assuring me that, No, I didn’t ramble or go off on tangents or whatever else I shouldn’t have been doing. And I appreciated the fact that the freshmen had lots of questions to direct my way.

‘Twas much fun. Here’s how my intro ended up going:

Yasmine: Hi, I’m Yasmine, and I’m a fifth year Human Dev –

*students start murmuring*

Yasmine: Thanks a lot, you guys, I really like how you did that collective gasp. Anyway, I’m majoring in Human Development and minoring in Social & Ethnic Relations. And, don’t worry, I promise I’m graduating in June.

*laughter*

Freshman boy #1: *whispers loudly to friend* She’s a fifth year? Dude, she must hella be a party girl!

Freshman boy #2: SHE’S SO COOL!