The final performance finished and, after taking their bows to thunderous applause, the cast hushed the crowd and handed out thanks and flowers to the production team including, last but not least, my daughter, one of the directors.
The formalities complete, the theater descended into chaos with people hugging, cameras flashing, smiles beaming all around. My daughter was exhausted and elated. She had seen this project through over six months of work, from proposal, putting together a team, a band, a cast, time over vacations and weekends, fitting it all in around class work, a job and the many other demands of campus life.
Looking at her I thought, yes, this is exactly what college is supposed to be.
My girl, almost finished with her sophomore year, is passionate about theater and film production, thirsting to learn everything she can about lights, music, sound, sets, and is willing to throw herself into every opportunity to try something new.
Whether this becomes her career or not, she is learning so many important skills — collaboration, leadership, organization, creativity. More importantly, she has tasted that magical moment when you do something you really care about, with other people who feel the same way.
Some parents are focused on college as a path to a career, gauging the value of the education by the starting salary of a graduate’s first job. I have found rankings based on the average paycheck by major or school and find myself wondering if that is how I should measure my daughter’s college experience.
Of course I want her to be employable and take care of herself financially when she graduates, but I also want her to have the chance to explore. It makes me happy that she hass taken classes in astronomy, math, and history and that she is learning to play the organ. Let’s face it, these aren’t areas of knowledge or life skills she is going to need in the working world.
Theater as a career is better at producing waiters for new, hip restaurants in Williamsburg than owners of new condos in Dumbo, but if that is the path she takes after graduation, good for her. This is the time in her life when it will be easiest to live with too many roommates, eat pasta for too many meals, and build a wardrobe from thrift stores. Maybe it will be her life’s calling, but maybe not.
Even kids who start out in engineering, business, or law often end up somewhere they, and their parents, never envisioned a few years down the line. If my daughter has skills, some discipline and determination, I really believe she will be okay. Trying new things, taking risks, meeting new people, these are important experiences and college is a great place to have them.
After the crowd left, she had to strike the set and then go to the cast party, staying up until the wee hours. When she dragged herself out the next day, after noon, to meet for brunch, her present but ragged smile showed the effects of too little sleep and too much alcohol. Looking at her I thought, yes, this is exactly what college is supposed to be.
