Dori Smith mentioned today that her son Sean just returned from a session of CTY. CTY is a program for Jr. High “…students whose SAT I scores place them in the top one-half of one percent of their age mates.” I was accepted when I was in 7^th^ grade after taking the SAT, through the recommendation of my PACT (Program for the Academically and Creatively Talented) teacher, and went to summer CTY sessions for three years running.
The first year Royce and I both went to a session in Claremont, California (where the picture attached to this post was taken — thanks go to Royce for sending that particular little bit of embarassing history my way — I actually remember that shirt, too, those are little mother-of-pearl snaps instead of buttons…ugh…), and the following two years I went to sessions somewhere in Pennsylvania. They were a lot of fun, too. The CTY sessions are a few weeks long each, and are combinations of summer camp and summer school (summer camp for geeks, I guess). The first year I took Spanish (which I remember precisely nothing of), and the next two years were writing classes.
The best thing those summer sessions did for me, though, was to get me into an environment where I wasn’t ridiculed because I was smarter than your average bear. All of a sudden, I wasn’t the oddball — instead, I was surrounded by other people who had some of the same interests I did, who laughed at the same jokes I did, who knew as much Star Trek as I did (and were equally apprehensive about this new “Next Generation” of Star Trek that was being talked about — a blind pilot? A kid on the bridge? And a bald captain? Oh, come on!?!). Some of them even probably shared my impeccable fashion sense! And most importantly, they allowed me to start the long, long process of coming into my own, and discovering that I had a personality of my own. It was many years afterwards before I was fully able to realize that potential, but had it not been for the open and accepting atmosphere of the CTY program and the possibilities that it opened up to me, I may never have broken out of my shell at all.
It’s a great program, and if you ever have a child who has the chance to participate, it’s a wonderful experience that they really shouldn’t have to miss out on.
That is definitely a hot look for you. Ever thought of going back to it?
You sick, sick puppy. ;) Lord, no — these days, basic black works best for me.
Besides, I think if I tried to pull my pants up quite that far these days, I’d do some serious damage to myself (eep!).
I saw a T-SHoirt the other day which read, “I only wear black until I can find something darker.” I remember this stage of your life with fondness. You were always very happy when you came back and full of “hero stories” about what you had done, who you had met, and so forth. It was worth every penny.
I wanted to say something, but I started laughing so hard I fell out of my chair and hit my head and forgot what I was going to say.
I printed the picture and gave it to your mom, who was thrilled.