Andre 3000 could come for desert

I had a really great high school counselor. When I think back on my trips to her office I have three strong memories that stand out in my mind.

I remember looking at the posters on her wall that were all about/from places she had traveled. And since I knew her family (one of her kids was in my graduating class) I knew that a lot of her travels included her kids and I wondered if someday I would take my own children to far off lands and then come home with posters and put them in my office and use them to remember. Though I realize she wasn't just using them to remember her trips, she was using them to motivate the students she was assigned. All the kids with last names K-T (or some such system).

Travel! She was telling us. See the world! And then come back home and remember. I liked it because she wasn't really telling you what to do or showing off, she was just subtly suggesting you get out and see what's out there and that seemed like something a high school counselor ought to do. Also, they weren't posters that said "Commitment" with a picture of a hanging kitty, so that's something right?

The second thing I remember about trips to her office was that she spoke to me like an adult. I was a mere sixteen years old, but in her office I was representing myself as a person she took seriously. And man did I appreciate that. She was one of the many adults I was fortunate enough to know who made me feel like I mattered. It changed me as a person and it changed the way I talk to kids I can tell you that.

Thirdly, and what was really on my mind when I sat down to write this post, is that she set up appointments with her senior advise-es for mock interviews. The answers to her questions during the interview weren't really of consequence, the point really was just to ask you some questions and get you prepared for the interview process because it would inevitably be a big part of your adult life. I don't know if that was required curriculum or not, but either way I appreciated it.

When I was seventeen years old I would say I was only slightly less good at interviews than I am now. (Is that a phrase? "less good"? Oh well.) So basically I still managed to rock it out. I'm awesome at interviewing because I have trained myself not to get nervous in those types of potentially nerve wracking situations. First dates, interviews, meeting new people... not a problem. I learned the hard way in my youth that being nervous has disastrous consequences for me, so I just don't allow it. And because of that I have not yet interviewed for a job that I haven't gotten. But when I was sitting in my counselors office the day of my "interview" with her she asked me a question that haunts me to this day. Maybe haunts is a little dramatic, lets just say I think about it a lot. Because I realized in retrospect that I cared more about what she thought about my answer then what my answer really was, and that made me feel... kind of pathetic.

Of all the questions she asked me, the one that I couldn't answer well was "If you could sit at a dinner table with any group of people dead or alive, who would they be?"

I froze because I knew she was looking for a really "smart" answer. But I couldn't bring myself to say "Jesus" and "Einstein" just because I thought that's what she'd want to hear. And I couldn't come up with anything great or original. I believe my answer was "Hmmm, that's a really good question. *pause* *pause* *pause* I'm going to have to think about that one." So we skipped it and came back to it later. What my final answer was I don't remember, probably F. Scott Fitzgerald, Shakespeare and Lewis and Clark or some such nonsense (although F. Scott and Zelda would probably be a blast to have at a party). And even though I've never been asked the question in any kind of interview situation ever again, the topic always looms in my head. Because now I don't feel the need to care what the questioner thinks of me, I have my answer... for this point in my life... and that's just it. And if Jesus gets invited, it's only because I think he'd be really good at keeping all the wine glasses filled.

So, dear readers, you're not my high school counselor, but I will tell you anyway.

If I could have dinner with any number of people around one table as I'd like, they would be as follows. I'm not including friends and family because it will just make the list too long. (and start thinking of yours because comments will be expected)

Anne Lamott
Andy Goldsworthy
Paul Simon

for being three people who's work makes me feel at home

My future husband

because that just makes good sense

Augusten Burroughs
David Sedaris
Ricky Gervais
Chris Rock
Eddie Izzard
Matt Lucas
David Williams
Tom Robbins
John Stewart

Because I really like funny, smart and crazy

Oprah

You just can't have a fantasy dinner party without her

The Beatles
The Dixie Chicks
The Indigo Girls
Ella Fitzgerald
Imogen Heap
Martin Sexton
Van Morrison
James Taylor

I'm sure great dinner guests and perfect after dinner entertainment

Brad Pitt
Mark Ruffalo
Johnny Depp (duh)
Taye Diggs
Jake Gyllenhaal

For eye candy beautifulness

Man, this is fun, I could go on forever, but that's enough for now. And I've purposefully left God and Barack Obama off the list because I really don't need that kind of pressure on a Saturday night and we don't need to be getting into debates on religion or politics, we'll just stick to topics like the weather. ;)

So, dear readers, who are your fantasy dinner guests? or... if you're in the mood, you can comment on your high school counselor.