Do You Know Where?

After I asked my father a question I felt really humiliated.

I woke up on a bright sunny Sunday. It was the beginning of the day, and I was already feeling really stressed out. I looked over for Pi (my cat) who usually waits at the end of the bed for me to wake up. I cradled his fluffy body and we cuddled for a few minutes so I could calm down a bit. I opened my laptop and typed in the Eastern Maine Community College website. I needed to know what else I needed to get done so I can finish my application. I had to get into this school so my after school plans could work. I typed the website in, and clicked on the button that said ‘once you have applied.’ I went through the list that was waiting for me. I only needed a couple of things the school could send for me the next day. I went to close out when I saw ‘Schedule a Radiography Pre-Entrance Exam.’ I didn’t know what it was, or if I needed to take it. I ran down the twelve stairs and knocked on my dads bedroom door. I went in, and asked if the test was necessary. He replied with “If it is or isn’t you should take it anyway. That way if it is necessary they already have your results, and you won’t be missing out on anything.” It was a smart idea and I registered for the test and got a date. The date was for the next Saturday and I was starting to freak out. I don’t know what is going to be on the test or what I should study for. How am I going to get in when I only know so little? But, I also needed to figure out how to get there. I had no idea. I know I had to drive, and I was going to take the truck. The questions going through my mind were was Hogan road? How do I get from here to there? When do I need to wake up and leave?

I asked my father where EMCC was. He gave me a look like I should have known. I think he gave me this look because whenever we go up to camp we pass by the exit that leads straight to the college. I never pay attention to exits. I am either driving or sleeping. He had the experience of going to the college when he was younger and I haven’t yet. He tried explaining how to get there but I still didn’t understand. His directions are kind of confusing. One time I had to take my step mother to Walmart and I took his directions. We ended up near the Auburn airport!

Anyway I asked him to go step by step so I could try and picture it in my head. He gave up half way through and said he is just going to go with me. I said okay that works, maybe you could do something with my cousin while you are up there. That way he wasn’t just sitting in the parking lot waiting for me. I didn’t know how long the test was going to take. I planed a lunch date my father could go and eat with my cousin while I was taking the exam.

I got up that day very sluggish and tired. I was glad that dad was driving me up so I could sleep on the way there. I grabbed a fuzzy blanket and got in the car. It wasn’t too cold out, even though you could still see your breath. When we got close my father woke me up so I could see where I was going if I got into the school. We got there a few minutes early. I waited in the car until I saw someone else going into the building. Just in case I didn’t know where I was going. From the outside it looked like a pretty big building. The lady I walked in with was also taking the test but had been to the school before. She knew where she was going and that made me feel more prepared. We went out to lunch after. The topic of me not knowing where the school was came up a couple of times. After that the question wasn’t really a big deal.

When I was younger I was taught that any reasonable question is no bad question. That you can always ask question and sometimes they are silly, and sometimes they aren’t. This was a silly question to my father but not to me. I honestly really didn’t know where the school was. If I didn’t ask the question I could have gotten lost and not able to take the exam. That would of been bad because I wouldn’t have the ability to be accepted into the program. When you ask a question you have to think about if it is really necessary and if it will help you with the problem.