Rachel 3

We've each been scheduled for a half hour with one teacher who also does part time guidance counselling.
I see her eyebrows go up, "come on, don't give me that. There is absolutely no such thing as a child who reaches the age of ten and hasn't at least thought a bit about future career."
I blush a bit, don't reply.
"I see, so you have thought a bit about it, just consider it a little too embarrassing to say. Come on, this is private, out with it."
"I'd really rather not."
"Come on Rachel, at least you need a starting point, somewhere to start the process. Tell me, please."
"Well ah that is ah I've thought how cool it would be to join the French Foreign Legion."
"Excellent, now let's run with that a bit. A few centuries ago, that would be considered quite odd for a girl, but times are a bit different now. I understand it's something like a third female now. So, tell me, why?"
"Well I read, you get a pension after 15 years. So, if you start at age 18, means you're either dead or retired on a pension by age 33, which sounds just fine to me."
"I see, and by your tone I infer it doesn't really matter too much which, right?"
I blush.
"So, in a sense what you're really saying here, it has nothing to do with the Foreign Legion at all. In fact, any option which provided those choices would be ok, right?"
"Well sort of."
"So, tell me, you ah view life itself as a rather tedious thing? So, what do you think of those three convictions your mother had?"
"I wish she'd use a little originality. Why not do something different, instead of repeating the same old nonsense?"
"Ok Rachel now the $64 question for you. Let's assume you succeed with this Foreign Legion thing. You're now 33 and the pension is rolling in. With what do you intend to fill up your time? It's not like some old and ailing person who struggles just getting through a day. At that age, you still have considerable energy and hopefully good health. So, what do you do with all that time?"
"Well ah truth is, I hadn't really thought that far."
"So, why not consider the Canadian Army instead?"
I groan quietly, "come on, you know what reputation that has. I'd be too ashamed to go apply."
She grins, "well time's almost up. I'll leave you with one cheerful thought. At least you have more of a sense of everything than most I see. I doubt if you will actually join the Legion at that age. But if you're already evaluating stuff now, chances are you'll do reasonably ok wherever."
"Thank you, sort of."
She laughs, "let me tell you, there's days I wish I'd joined the Legion."
We both laugh.