London calling

Last week’s column created the most buzz among kids I know who have gone off to college at the far reaches of the solar system.

Here’s some of what that former student who’s now working on a Masters in London had to say:

“I went out tonight with a Chinese, a Hong Kongese, a Japanese and a Korean. (3 of 4 were college girls) The Korean turned out to be a Christian, so I'm inviting him to church next week (the Hong Kongese is a Christian too, who already goes to St. Martins in the Fields, a famous Church).”

Wow, naturally I was impressed. What fascinating conversations did they have? Naturally I like hearing about my friends adventures. I’ll admit, it’s allows me to live vicariously through him. But that is exactly what bothers him about living abroad and makes him want to come home.

“One of these days, I'll be living purely for myself and you guys will have
nothing interesting to live vicariously through me. I guess that is my life dream: to live
for myself. It's tough having what I estimate to be 1,000 people watching every move I make. I'm a sucker for pleasing everyone.”

“Write about that!” he told me. “There's a huge social push for the young to do what the not-so-
young felt they couldn't do; but those people just didn’t take the chances to put
themselves out on the line like they are pushing us to do.”

He said that he wants to ignite a new social movement of kids who want to live for themselves instead of trying to please us older folk. But he also told me that in spite of all the ill will toward the United States these days, and even with so much unrest and an unpopular war in Iraq, America still stands for what the rest of the world wants to be.

“I am continually amazed that people still regard 'America' as this great nation, as if it were still the new land to the West that it was back in the 18th century, when I know the hell it's in, just as many of the nations of the world are at the same time. The USA has the 'American' brand that it cannot shake, which is fun for a person preparing to work in image management. I only wish I could create something with such a strong image as 'America,' which is the strongest brand I've yet to find.”

Another of my former students is at art school in Long Beach, California. She writes:

“I read your little article ‘How are you gonna keep 'em on the farm once they've drank a Starbucks?’ I really liked it. I felt like I can relate to it. Even though I do want to see the world and do everything, eventually I want to settle down back in Soldier and raise my kids there.”

“Whenever I tell someone out here about my plans, they seem in shock. My teachers don't want me to ‘waste’ my talent by not living in London or LA or New York. The truth is, I do want to do all those things, and I will, while I'm still young, but when I'm finished with everything I will go back home to my roots, because that's just what feels right for me.”

“I like living in LA and I'm proud of myself for getting out of Iowa and living a life that my friends envy, but the truth is that I actually envy the ones who stayed back home. I envy the fact that they can go home on the weekends, that they can see high school friends whenever they want, and that they never have to deal with the pressure of letting everybody down who believed in them back home.”

This kid is majoring in graphic design and the plan is that she’ll be transferring to another college in London next year. Of course, what makes this third student different from the on in Washington D.C. or the one already in London, is that the one in L.A. had a different plan. She always wanted to work for the C.I.A.

That’s right. And I have no doubt that unless God or the Secretary of Defense get in her way, she’ll probably do it. She was headed for an elite language school before art college, but the Army turned her away because of health concerns. She is determined to get a double major in languages and graphic design, even if that means getting it through public universities instead of the military. She’s even researched enough to know that the CIA actually hires graphic designers to help analysts make presentations in Langley.

All that, but when she settles down, she doesn’t want to do it in the beltway or Europe. She wants to come home to the Loess Hills.

One more young person proving the benefits of small town values and small, rural schools. Also proving my contentions that L.A. is a great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there again. And Iowa may or may not be much to visit, but it sure is a great place to call home.