The Treatment Program of Absurdity: 2

Mark’s Proposition

Mark’s Proposition

“Hello Mark.”
“Hi!”
“Hello Mark!”
“Hi, Dr. Gore.”
“It is my understanding that you wanted to speak with me about a proposition that you have, in which we can use to improve Great Ascendency.”
“Yes!”
“Ok, I would love to hear it.”
“Mark, I really appreciate students taking an initiative to try to help better Great Ascendency. I feel that student involvement is the strongest unity a program can have.”
“Ok, Han and most of the guys in transition have been slacking off for months: their HHM scores are terrible; no on in the transition house, except for Harry, is doing anything outside of Great Ascendency, despite how they have all lost their computers; Jenny was telling me how she is going to start boycotting anything they go to, since their odor makes her want to puke.”
“Ok, I understand you think there is a problem with how the guys in the transition house take care of themselves. What do you want to do about it?”
“What I propose is that we have a mandatory workout period every morning; and I don’t mean that students lose participation credit; I mean they are forced into the vans, and once they get to the gym, they are forced to work out.”
“Mark, everyone in the core house, except for the one student you’ve mentioned, has issues with substance abuse, including you; and the reason I bring that up is because I find it hypocritical for you to go after them when you’ll have been doing worse things with your time.”
“Dr. Linkins, I don’t doubt we have all gotten into trouble, but I just think it would do the program a favor if they were forced to work out.”
“You are basically claiming that you guys are better than the guys in core.”
“No, I’m saying that their behaviors are causing a negative impact on the community.”
“Maybe they don’t like the fumes from when you guys smoke, but they don’t complain. What is your major concern?”
“My major concern is that they pick the most buffoon activities, since it is entirely their choice: they pick watching Disney movie, playing tic-tac-toe, and we have recently been subjected to musical chairs.”
“Ok, what do you think the new activities should be?”
“I think we need more bowing, ice-skating, paintball, movie trips, and arcade trips.”
“Mark, before you got to Great Ascendency, were these the activities that you partook in while you got high?”
“What the f***?”
“You should spend more time with activities like musical chair; it may very well distract you, and help cure you of your addiction that you’ve suffered from. Since they have never used drugs, maybe you should start partaking more in their activities, since it will really help you in life.”
“Dr. Linkins, NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD GIVE ANY OF THOSE GUYS DRUGS.”
“If you think it has to do with the fact that they might struggle a little bit socially, I want to point out that most people who use drugs also struggle socially, so they are not different than anyone else who uses them.”
Mark stormed out of the office, but he told me that he later decided to stay by and listen to what Dr. Linkins and Dr. Gore had to say.
“Tommy?”
“Ya!”
“Why is it that every time a student makes a proposition, you nullify it?”
“NULLIFY! He has wonderful opportunities that plenty of people around this world lack, and all he has to do is put up with people who have more issues then him – in which if they weren’t here, he wouldn’t have the honor, since we wouldn’t have enough money to function – and he whines about it.”
“A forcing of reckless depositions upon students is not going to help them, especially when they really need to be here, so they can get better.”
“NEED, NEED; THIS PLACE IS A LUXURY.”
“Ok, fine, maybe they are brats, if you say; but what is the problem with having a compulsory gym session early in the morning?”
“Time constraints.”
“Ok, what if I facilitate it?”
“With what time? You already work 16-hours a day.”
“I’ll work 18-hours a day. I’ll bring them to the gym at 5:00 A.M.; bring them back a 7:00 A.M.; and then I will go on doing my normal duties.”
“I am leaving to go to Thailand for two weeks, and you are going to have to run this place. Will the gym trip interfere with you being able to run Great Ascendency?”
“Nope!”
“Ok, fine, you can run your mandatory gym trip, but you are not getting paid overtime.”
“Fine!”
“Ok, now that that’s been settled, I need to get back to work.”
“Ok, say, where are you going in Thailand?”
“Bangkok, and then I am going to this beach resort right outside of the city for my last night there.”
“Ok, have fun!”
“I will, Frank.”
Frank left the room.