methodwriter85

I thought it was pretty straight-forward: JJ isn't getting that much attention from Brad and Robbie; meanwhile the entire family was slobbering over Gathan that entire summer. I mean, for good reason, but a 14-year old diva isn't the most reasonable person.

No, I'm thinking he's just enjoying Zach and JJ being total bitches towards Gathan. If this generation all got along, it would be fairly unrealistic and pretty boring. There have to be enough conflicts to propel a decade's worth of stories.

Chapter 21 -When the GSA has their meeting, where Wade is determined to get Tiffany laid.

So. Damn. True. Although we should consider that this is a guy who's just a teenager. If this were a 30-year old, I could understand the dogpile, but he is a kid and maybe not so experienced in the ways of the world. I think it'd help him if we explain WHY this is a bad idea, as opposed to just telling him he's stupid and morally wrong for wanting to do it. Here's the thing. I'm gay. I have no interest in getting with a woman. If I were being told that I would just need to meet the right woman and I could be "turned", I would be pretty livid. By talking about how you want to turn this guy, you're basically saying that you could negate someone's sexuality by being the "right" guy to do it. You see why this isn't a good thing? I could understand the fantasy, and I've definitely had it, but sometimes a fantasy needs to just stay a fantasy.

I had a mix of that- the thing about Delaware is that parents who really care about their kids education don't really send their kids to neighborhood schools if they can get them choiced into better school districts. I went to a performing arts magnet school that was downstairs from an extremely competitive science and math charter school. We were allowed to slack off at my school, but there were also plenty of helicopter parents. Upstairs at Charter School of Wilmington, the pressure was magnified- and it wasn't like these were first generation college kids here. These were kids who's parents were working for Astra-Zeneca and du Pont. Charter was competitive enough that parents who might have ordinarily gone private took their kids there instead, so there was a pretty broad mix of working class kids to at least upper-middle class. I hung out with kids who were scraping by like I was, to kids who got to travel abroad to Europe and the like and drove fully loaded SUV's. There were definite expectations for these kids and it wasn't easy- I remember the majority of them were hopped up on caffeine(later Adderall) pills like it was candy. I also considered that Tim was born in the mid-1970's instead of the mid-1980's- I think the peak of the whole "helicopter parenting" phenom occurred when kids born in the mid-80's to the early 90's hit college, because that's when colleges were hitting their peak enrollments and it was getting harder for kids to get in. I've talked with a college counselor who retired around the early '00s, and around this time was when the emphasis on volunteer work and the like was starting to get pushed. I'd be interested in hearing more from people who graduated from high school around 2002 to about 2008(i.e. people born from about 1984 to 1990) on what they observed.

I can see Will going to college, with there being no question mark. JJ is the question mark, I think- likely he'd take a few years off after high school to pursue the '06 Olympics, which may or may not cause problems with the family. Going by how Mark's written the family at this point, I think they'd probably realize that while college is always there, JJ's best years for figure skating are at his late teens and early twenties. I can't see them pressuring JJ into attending college right after graduation in '04. If JJ does go to college, I do think he'd pick a school that had a really prestigious figure skating club attached to it- they'd probably be more understanding about all the absences and the whole "taking only one class a semester" deal. As for the "panicky" part, I get that was the environment you grew up in, and I understand that they just take it for granted that they're going to get into a good college, but Tommy's description of kids from Menlo and the like who were using Adderall as study aids does suggest that these kids do experience at least some anxiety about college. Interestingly, I did remember someone talking about how, on the East Coast, parents tend to be pushier about academics with their kids than they are on the West Coast, which does kind of jibe with what you're saying here, that they expect their kids to excel but there isn't that enormous pressure that you get from East Coast parents, more of just a friendly indoctrination into the culture of the prestigious colleges through football games and such.

I just got back from a week in Tennessee, helping to build new paths for the Cumberland Trail. We stayed at a lodge in a small hole-in-the-wall called Soddy Daisy, with kids from schools all around the East Coast and Mid-West. I can't put into words just how wonderful that experience was. I came into the trip expecting that we'd be putting down gravel and trimming weeds for some biking/cross-country trails. I had never hiked a day in my life, unless you count walking around flat Delaware state parks. (Which I don't, after what I experienced.) I'm deathly afraid of heights, and when I realized that trail building actually entailed hiking some pretty steep areas, all I could was try not to look over the side and concentrate on landing on each stepping stone. The fact that I was able to do it, and do it more than once, was something that amazes the hell out of me when I think about it. Sure, I took the absolute longest to hike up and get down, but the fact that I actually did climbed up this huge hill when the 12-year old me refused to ride an escalator at the National Air Space Museum for my 5th grade field trip was pretty cool. The scenery was amazing- for a boy used to the flat coastal plains, the views were just beautiful. We went on a trip to Chattanooga twice- the city was pretty cool...I'd figured Chattanooga was just this small little city, but it's actually got some amazing views and cool shops/restaurants. It was great experiencing a city that I had never really thought about before, and learning that it had some pretty cool things going on for it. With all these kids around from different schools, the experience felt like the summer camp experience I never had. It was so cool talking to people from places like Boston, or Georgia, or Wisconsin. I made one Wisconsin guy promise to see the Ocean some day if I promised to see a Great Lake. It was fun ribbing the BU kids about the joke from The Social Network, as well as explaining what a "hoagie" is to someone from Boston. Overall, this was so much better than my Florida trip, because while on that trip I helped someone out that needed help, in this case, I gave back while really challenging myself on things I never thought I could do. And, I guess this probably sounds cheesy...but...when I was climbing up that hill and hit the rocky spots, all I could do was focus on the next step, and then the step after that. I've been so depressed and anxious about what my future is going to be after graduation, because I don't really have any real, concrete plan...but like on that trail, my path has to be followed starting by one step. I can't let the fear of falling down keep me from taking that next step.

They're similar, but it hasn't felt like we're doing a redux of Be Rad with Will. Will doesn't have the kind of emotional baggage that Brad had because of his abusive childhood, and he grew up in a time and place that was friendlier to homosexuality. Those, right there, are going to cause some pretty significant differences in the way they view the world. Blue, it's always fun debating with you on things. We both at least seem to agree that JJ does have some pretty good character potential, and it'll be interesting to see how the kids turn out, and how the events of their coming-of-age decade affect and shape them.

I know it's not as good as West Coast beaches, but damn it, we DO have beaches and NYC isn't exactly "inland". I get that the East Coast doesn't have the kind of surf and rugged beach you can find on the West Coast, but the dismissive attitude about East Coast beaches irks me. Just because they might not be as good doesn't mean they don't exist or are not worthwhile places to go. Hell, Mark had Peter Gordon and JP have a romantic interlude at Rehoboth Beach. JJ living in NYC would in no way mean that he's "giving up the beach." He'd still be near beaches, just not right out his front door. It's not like he'd be moving to St. Louis where there are no beaches to found- it's called the East Coast because there actually is a coast. The back story that we set up for Tiffany is that she was born in 1976, was a competive figure skater until the Nicole Bobek incident in 1994, and graduated in 1999 from some as-of-yet-undecided school in the Los Angeles area, with a degree that would fall either in sports administration/physical training. I could see Will spending a lot of time in Hawaii, maybe Australia. Those would also be suitable places for his surfing lifestyle. It would be cool if he spent his time documenting coral reefs around the world and vlogged about it. As for JJ, you also got to take into consideration that JJ is also a figure skater, who travels around a lot, and I've no doubt that he's spent some considerable time in colder climates- hell, he's supposed to go to Norway next month. I bet he has coordinated fur outfits that he breaks out for the colder trips. And yeah, considering that money's no object, JJ could pretty much live an incredibly cool lifestyle in NYC in some great penthouse overlooking Central Park, and I think 5th Avenue would be a wet dream. And if he does become an actor, I think his general histronics would be better suited to theater as opposed to movies/tv. Plus we've already done the whole "Actor in L.A." bit...so why not "Actor in NYC" to compare? And Mark would have fun writing about JJ's hookups with hot Broadway dancers and actors...lol. Finally, Johnny Weir lives in NYC. The fur would fly. Paris would work well, but I'm not sure Robbie or Brad would ever want to visit the place again. Then again, it's not like JJ's their respective favorite, so eh... Of course, more likely I can see JJ as a guy who maintains residences all around the world and travels extensively, without really sticking roots in one place. He's a Sag. It's an overriding trait.

Today's conversation made me think of this song... , 2002 The wonders of the world are said to stop at seven But truth to tell my figures don't agree I number them at eight, with one so close to Heaven The others pale, their magic stale Just take a look and see Step right up to Treasure Isle Ev'ry inch of it, a sky-high mile Fairytale land Only in New York Hey castle-builder Want the moon, and nothing less? Work for years, then overnight success I know firsthand Only in New York Each day it's free admission to those who dream You set your sights all the way upstream Off you go, for you know that cream will rise Make that wish, seek that thrill Come and get it, 'cause you always will Strike up the band Only in New York Each day it's free admission to those who dream You set your sights all the way upstream Off you go, for you know that cream will rise Rise! New, improved and rearranged It's ever-changing, yet it's never changed Life on command Hear what I'm saying, oh but it's grand That's why I'm staying, right here as planned Only in New York Only in New York Only in New York *** God, I had chills go up my spine when I saw this performed ten years ago. I think it had the timing of coming out less than a year after 9/11 that added some poignancy to it...still think it's a great song.

I actually think the JJ/Will bitchery has been one of the most realistic relationships Mark has written. I mean, when it comes down to it they'll have each other's backs, but you've got two very different guys, going to the same school and in the same grade. (If only JJ had been born December 2nd instead of December 7th...) It's not going to be easy, especially since Will kind of just shot ahead of JJ in terms of physical maturity, and is attracting all kinds of attention for being hot and such. Meanwhile, JJ looks like a short 12-year old. It wouldn't be realistic for JJ not to be frustrated by that. It's why I'm kind of surprised JJ followed Will to HW- JJ either going to another school or just going into home school seemed like it might have been good for both of them. I have two sisters that are only sixteen months apart in age, and god it got pretty bad at times. It helped when they wound up going to different schools for 10th and 11th grade, respectively. That's the thing though- it's NOT an inland environment; there are harbors and bays and beaches and the like. NYC still has to worry about hurricanes, although not as badly as NJ and Delaware. I did experience the inland shock though, when I moved to Western Pennsylvania, because I have pretty much never lived more than 90 minutes away from a beach for the majority of my life. It is kind of weird not to see seagulls and the like.

They changed schools only for Will to again eclipse JJ. I think in his head, JJ's always going to feel overshadowed by Will- they're like Irish twins that way. Irish twins can be really close, but there's also a sense of frustration whenever one of them gets more attention and friends than the other one does, because they're either in the same grade or just a grade apart. Although really, JJ can't ever really be Mr. Popular in high school, not if he's pursuing figure skating. Teenagers expect a lot of loyalty and time spent together when it comes to their friends, and a guy who disappears for entire weeks throughout the year and can't hang out whenever is going to have a hard time holding on to a lot of friends. It's not that mind-boggling if you think about it. He definitely has the theatrical personality down. I wonder who Mark studied to get that right.

This is mostly-tongue-in-cheek, but eh, I like all the footage of SF. Fitted plaid shirts and those dumb hats. Ugh.

Thank you for pretty much explaining why I feel like NYC would be perfect for JJ. There's this indescribable energy to the place, and for some one for whom money is no object, he could get some premium digs. I could see him, if the skating doesn't pan out, attending Tisch and studying to become a Broadway actor. We know from Millennium that JJ has a decent voice, and he'd probably be a good dancer. As for the big city vibe, remember what Tim said about how Los Angeles was proud to be the anti-city? From the vibe I get, it's more of a collection of suburbs with some downtown areas as opposed to a dense, walkable city. And didn't you say once that of all the kids, you didn't see JJ staying in SoCal, Blue? Of course, it wouldn't have to be NYC- London or Paris could work as well. Although Paris might be on the permanent black list for that family. Edited to add: Okay, so it might not be Malibu Beach shore, but JJ wouldn't exactly be giving up the beach if he lived in NYC. There are actually beaches there- not great ones, but he wouldn't be missing the ocean. And he could summer in the Hamptons, and don't tell me you can't see JJ rubbing elbows with the Hamptons Crowd. He'd fit right in on Gossip Girl and Revenge. Plus, as it's been pointed out, JJ's never really been that much of a beach guy. Hell, I think *I'm* more of a beach person than JJ is, and I only go down to Rehoboth maybe three or four times during the summer. Also...from Blue on March 27th, 2011: So you did agree with me on JJ not staying in L.A., but you were thinking more Paris or London. Which I can also see.

Going by the info of this chapter and what Mark's said... -Wade winds up going to Berkeley, Matt gets a job with some corporate firm in San Francisco, and they live in some gentrified hipster area where they raise Riley when Wade has custody. I could see Matt settling in Los Angeles, but I'm not sure that would work with Wade. I think the only way would be if Tiffany goes back to L.A., and Wade decides to hit up UCLA Law so he can be close to Riley. If they do settle in San Francisco...damn, that means for sure Mark can't ignore the hipster kids like he ignored the grunge kids. (To be fair to Mark though, he skipped 1992 through 1994, which was the bulk of the grunge era, and he didn't really focus on teenagers/college kids, who were the kids that were doing grunge.) It really was one of the major archetypes of the era on par with 1980's yuppies, and Mark does like to reflect the major trends of the time. (See: Mouse becoming a punk.)

42. Garden State. Nice cult film of the time. I was 17 in '03, and I remember that's when I really started listening to indie music like Death Cab for Cutie and The Shins. I'm sure The O.C. and Garden State had a big influence on that.

Day 27, March 6th Today I continued working on Box 2. I found an envelope of newspaper clippings- the envelope was a big manila envelope with "Philadelphia Convention July 1958" on front, so we kept the envelope. I also found a 50th Anniversary Gettysburg Commission memo, which was great because there's a photo of the 50th Anniversary Gettysburg camp out displayed in the museum. I told my adviser about it, and she copied the letter and eventually intends on displaying the copy. That was a personal connection, because in 2004 I went to Gettysburg as a Union re-enactor. I've been excited for the 150th anniversary in 2013 since then. It's amazing to think there's only one year. Day 28th, March 7th I found a pretty cool 1914 tourist map of Washington, D.C. It was in a great shape. We decided to house the map in a different folder, and weighted two boxes on top of the new housing so that the document would flatten out.

I figured he might experiment with it for a few years, but you got a point. I can see JJ so clearly loving New York City, but not really Matt. It would be nice to have some of them around, but eh- it is the 2000's, and communicating via cams and like are going to become super-easy. Plus, I can really see JJ liking the challenge of setting up a life by himself in an area where he doesn't have much family, or two brothers that constantly overshadow him... So where do you see Matt ending up then, Mark?

Right, I just think it would be interesting to have Matt working in Wall Street, up to the point where the financial meltdown happens. I get the feeling JJ's ultimate destiny would be New York City, so it'd be cool to have some people there with him.

Actually, I mean if Wade gets into Columbia, Matt could work at Wall Street or something. Although that does beg the question- if Matt isn't getting a degree in business, what is he getting his degree in? Economics?

Chapter 20 -When they try to deal with the fact that Carl is in no way down for the count. -When Wade lists the schools he wants to go to. I think I like the Georgetown Fight Song the best. It's got that Southern boy swagger to it. -When Carl gets voted off the team. "If I were ever to pass you along in life again, and you were laying there, dying of thirst, I would not give you a drink of water. I would let the vultures take ya, and do whatever they what with ya. With no ill regrets. I plead to the jury tonight to think a little bit about the island that we have been on. This island is pretty much full of only two things. Snakes and rats. And in the end of mother nature, we have Richard the snake -- who knowingly went after prey -- and Kelly, who turned into the rat that ran around like the rats do on this island, trying to run from the snake. I feel we owe it to the island's spirits that we have learned to come to know to let it be in the end the way mother nature intended to be. For the snake to eat the rat."

Yeah, but in any event, I think Gen Y had it drilled into their head to apply to as many schools as possible. At least four, but I knew kids who did five or six. That feels realistic. If he winds up going to Columbia, Matt can work for Wall Street. That could be cool. Matt's getting a business degree, right? Isn't getting an MBA different- like it's suggested that you go into the field for a few years rather than just go straight into an MBA program? I heard someone say that was expected for Harvard Business school people. As for Georgetown and UVA- maybe he just plain feels an affinity for the schools? I knew people who were Ivy League-caliber that did not go Ivy League because they felt like they were a better fit with the other schools. Georgetown and UVA both have pretty outstanding reputations, and I'm sure Wade has friends who've gone there. And I wouldn't be surprised if Wade's Tobacco Tidewater family had a long history of donations to UVA.

It's generally frowned upon for people to do to their undergrad and post-grad work in the same place. You're supposed to get exposed to different ideas and the like. *waits for Private Tim to tell me how I am absolutely wrong on this one* I was thinking that Georgetown and Virginia were the safety back-ups. Yes, Wade probably doesn't have to worry, but this is Generation Y. The Baby Bust is over. Gen Xers like Tim benefited from less competition, but I knew people who got rejected from their second and third choice schools. And...I don't know- here's my feeling on this. If Wade really wants to do a power struggle for control of the family, he can't really do it from California if everyone else is in Virginia. And if Wade is serious about an eventual political career, it would seem dumb for him not to end up in D.C. at some point.

I was wondering when Wade was going to start talking about post-graduation plans. Someone like him would definitely be thinking about them at this point. I can buy Matt kind of going, "Woo-hoo! It's party time and I don't have to think about graduation until the spring of '02!", but Wade would already be signing up for his LSAT's, setting up internships, and reading through law school applications. I also like that Tiffany is in no way interested in the kind of arrangment that Robbie/Brad/Jeanine set up when it came to rearing Generation 4, or what JP/Jeff/Isidore(later Sam) came up when it came to raising Brad's generation. Tiffany definitely seems to have more of an independent streak than that.

It's kind of interesting though, that between two men who were Ivy League graduates, Brad and Robbie raised three sons who don't really seem all that Ivy-inclined. Darius just wanted to go wherever. Will is a strong student academically and obviously could go Ivy if he wanted to, but he doesn't seem like he's that interested. And then JJ doesn't seem like he's all that into school- I think he probably does just enough to get by. If JJ does wind up going to college, I think it would be with a school that has a well-known, extremely well-ranked figure skating club that has produced some well-known figure skating champions and would be relaxed about him only taking a class a semester because of school's said experience with figure skating champs. I mean, I know JJ and Will are only in 9th grade- but seriously, the Ivy-League gunning kids were displaying signs of being Ivy-League gunning in like 9th grade, if not earlier. Although I guess the answer lies in the scene where Darius talks to Brad about his college plans, and Brad pretty much didn't care where Darius went as long as Darius went. Which makes me wonder if JJ will be able to get away with saying he doesn't plan on going to college, or if he'd get pressured to go. I really think it could go either way with this family. I wonder how Claire and Jack are in terms of raising their kids- if it's just, "I don't care where you go to college as long as you get in" ala Brad, Robbie, and (maybe) Jeanine, or if they're very much into the whole "you must get into a 'name' school" deal. I think Claire would probably be pushier with her kids- not a helicopter-level, but I don't think she'd be as laidback with her kids as Brad and Robbie were with Darius. I'm assuming at some point, we'll start meeting kids who are under the gun by their parents to get into Ivy League. Especially considering the caliber of Harvard-Westlake. The whole "trophy kid" phenom, while not a new concept, definitely seemed to become pretty massive during this decade as college admissions got even more cutthroat. Tommy's recounting of kids who'd down Adderall like candy to get an edge definitely rang true to the A.P. kids I knew in high school.