A lifetime of learning

Setting:
A father and son sit in a small restaurant. Each has a plate of food sitting in front of them untouched. It’s growing dark, the moon is shining through, and the food is as cold as the frost on the window next to them.

Characters:

James is an older father than most nearing fifty. He has a beautiful wife, and four smart, and dedicated sons at home, John is seven, Keith twelve, Trent fifteen, and Mathew is seventeen. He wants all of his children to have great lives but especially his firstborn Mathew, who lived with very little when the family first started out. He worked his way through college selling magazine subscriptions. He majored in advertising and after four long years at a tiny, cheap state college he graduated with honors. His hard work got him a job in a small advertising business that pays thirty grand a year. He is an honest and caring man, but often does not know how to express his feelings.

Mathew is James’ eldest son. He is in his last year of high school. He is on the varsity football team and is the president of the senior class. His straight A’s throughout his high school years has earned him a place on the high honor roll every semester, and in June, when he graduates he will be the valedictorian of his senior class. He has lost his way in life, spending too much time trying to be perfect. He knows about as much about what he wants to do with his life, as he does about where he wants to go after high school. He fears he will end up lost in the crowd, because he does not have any idea who he really is.

James: Son why can’t you see how important it is to figure out what you are doing with your life?

Mathew: (exasperated) I know it’s important, but I don’t know what I want to be, where I want to go or what I’m going to do to get there.

James: (slightly irritated) This is important why don’t you take it seriously?

Mathew: Dad, I’m trying take this seriously, but it is all so confusing. I’m good at football, excellent in school, but those are your things, not mine. I want something of my own, something that I want to do.

James: But I thought you like football, and your grades can get you into any college you could ever want to go to.

Mathew: I do like football, and I know that my grades are good, but I’ve pushed myself all these years to please you and mom, not because football and studying made me happy.

James: (trying to understand) I guess I just don’t understand how you can waste your talents because you want to find something better, I think what you have is better.
Mathew: (calmly) Dad I never said better, just my own. Trent is fifteen and he loves to write. He writes not because you want him to, but because he loves to, he wants to be on a newspaper someday, and Keith is only twelve and he knows he wants to play the piano when he grows up, because the music calms him down. I want what they have, I want something that I can be passionate about, not because you think I’m good, but because I think that I love it.

James: (beginning to understand) Well, what is it that you love Mathew, do you like to write, or make music or is there something else that interests you more?

Mathew: I don’t know dad, I just know that I need to find out what it is that I love before I can figure out what I’m going to do about my future. I’ve been trying out a few things lately. I’m a horrible singer, and an even worse writer, but I’m pretty good at drawing, and I think I could improve my juggling skills, kidding dad.

James: Well maybe we could find a class at a community college that helps with this kind of thing.

Mathew: (anger flaring up) What kind of thing would that be dad?

James: I just meant, well, that I wanted to help you.

Mathew: (calming down a bit) Oh well I’m sure I can do it, but I will find you if I need you.