Catching Up (Sean)

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Since Carleigh didn’t articulate cheerleading as a possible career option, Sean spared her his lecture about the exploitation of professional cheerleaders in both football and basketball. Fortunately, not a single student so far had expressed interest in trying to pursue that as a career path, which saved that lecture for ranting to Josh or other like-minded friends when lamenting peripheral labor issues affecting both professional and collegiate sports.

Instead, she admitted that she hadn’t given her future much thought. A sentiment that he had heard time and again in this office, but which he would never truly understand on a personal level. At her age, he had already applied to several colleges and had an idea of where he wanted to attend, had already known that he would focus on pre-med and would apply to the medical school attached to whatever college he attended, or to an even better medical school if available.

How times had changed. Certainly, the schooling and job options had been far less hopeless when he had been a student. While there had been a minor recession at the end of high school, it paled in comparison with their current landscape, and it had righted itself by the time he graduated from college, let alone from medical school.

However, if she wanted a gap year, he could discuss the mechanics of a gap year. “And if you took the year off and stayed in the area, do you have any idea about what you’d want to do to pass the time?” Internships, community college classes, or finding a job all immediately came to mind.

[Carleigh Davidson]

The choice between going back to her home state and staying here seemed like a relatively easy decision to make. While the weather in California was infinitely times better than that in Vermont, there was also a sense of community here. A small, personal one, but it was still more than Carleigh had ever had before.

Keeping up with everything was hard. Powers training. Making sure she graduated on time. The thought of what she could make of herself in life after high school had been brushed aside.

"Find a job somewhere, I imagine. I'd like to become more independent." Carleigh answered thoughtfully, nodding with her answer. "Work for the year until I can think about what I would like to do." Realistically, that seemed to be the only option for her.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean had only been to California a handful of times. Most of the people he knew that lived there enjoyed it, and many of the students returned there once graduating. At the same time, Pilot Ridge also had more meta-humans than most other places, as well as that comfortable feel of small-town life. He had left for a decade and a half, but then he had come back and settled. He understood the appeal.

Admitting that she would need a job was a more reasonable course of action than Sean had heard from some of the other students that he had counseled in the past. More than one student had approached their gap year as though it was an excuse to play video games all night and sleep all day. That she realized that she should find a job was a good starting point, although the economy might conspire against her depending on the state of the market when she graduated. Pilot Ridge and even Burlington possessed unemployment rates lower than the national average, which put her in better shape than some recent graduates across the country.

The psychiatrist nodded his understanding. “If you need help finding a job, Hammel keeps a list of places looking for students and recent graduates.” Not every place would be applicable, but surely that was a start. “I can give you a copy if you’d like.”

[Carleigh Davidson]

Although relying on her parent's financial support was alright for right now, Carleigh figured that once she was eighteen, an adult, it was time to take matters in her own hands. Maybe not completely, depending on when and even if she could find a job in the town. But part of her also felt guilty for allowing them to do that, despite the strained relationship between them and herself. While things had gotten better, they were by no means perfect.

A job would give her something. Something to start with. Something in customer service would be good; being nice to people with a smile on her face came to her.

When Dr. Neville mentioned that he had a copy of places hiring local students, Carleigh sat up a little straighter. "Yeah, sure. I'd like to get a copy of that if you don't mind." She said with a smile. She could follow the places on the list and then see where to go from there. "Any specific places you recommend? I'm not too picky when it comes to the job. I just need something to do." A reason to stay, besides other people she'd met.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Perhaps it was a generation gap, or due to Sean’s hippie sentiments, or simply a combination of his job training and the decades he had spent with teenagers, but he had a somewhat more flexible view of adulthood. The neuroscience research showed that the human brain continued to develop until the age of twenty-five, with massive growth between eighteen and nineteen – during the first year of college in the U.S. The economy was difficult. It was important to find something to do to fill a gap year, but he also saw nothing wrong with continuing to receive parental support while young, if needed and one’s parents could afford it.

At least Carleigh was in a better position to find a job than in many other parts of the country.

“I’ll make sure to give you one.” In fact, he began to rummage through the drawer where he kept lists and brochures, certain that he had a pre-printed one there was a resource.

“That depends on what interests you. I know you say you aren’t picky, but if you like sales and clothing, From the Spectrum hires seasonally. If you’d prefer office work, I know a few professionals in town. If you like food, then Abe’s or Bessie’s would be good choices.”

[Carleigh Davidson]

"Thanks." Carleigh said, looking across the table to smile at Dr. Neville. Talking about the possibilities in town gave her a chance to actually think about her future, to actively think of a purpose. Something she lacked at the beginning of the conversation. Even if she couldn't find something right away, it gave her an idea of what to do.

In return, he offered a few options of different fields. Sales and clothing was always an option for Carleigh, who enjoyed dabbling in that area. Office work sounded boring. Food was a good second choice. "I think I'll look at the mall." She decided, with a nod. See what places were hiring. The mall was relatively close too which made travel easier. "There's a lot of places there. I'm bound to find something."

"But, that's the thing. I just need something. It doesn't have to be my dream job or anything." She quickly amended, playing with the ends of her hair absentmindedly. It bought some time for Carleigh to think about career options.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Since she didn’t mention cheerleading aloud, Sean didn’t have to discourage her by explaining bad labor practices. He found nothing inherently shameful in being a cheerleader, but it was a limited market that was under constant investigation and threat of lawsuit due to how often the teams across leagues exploited the cheerleaders. The women had to pay for their own uniforms. They were humiliated and penalized for gaining even small amounts of weight. They had no stake in the consumer goods or media that profited from their likenesses. People were sexually aggressive to them and they received no protection. They were paid poorly and denied benefits. Until the market changed, Sean wouldn’t advise even the most gifted cheerleader to enter that world.

Instead, they had to confront the fact that Carleigh couldn’t think of a single interest she had that she might want to pursue professionally. That came as a far greater concern than the exploitation of professional cheerleaders. “But aside from wanting to stay in the area, you don’t have any leads for what you’d want to try out first?” Guidance counseling was difficult when they had to begin with the widest point of a funnel. Granted, remaining in Pilot Ridge limited opportunities available only in larger cities or in different parts of the country, but it remained too close to the designation of “everything and nothing” for him to provide concrete advice.

He was thoughtful for a moment, before he said, “I know a few people in local entertainment, if you think that could be to your liking. It’s nothing major, but it would fill a semester or a gap year.”

[Carleigh Davidson]

She shook her head slowly; nothing came to mind when thinking about general interests. Did talking to people count? Even then, Carleigh was realizing that she wasn't nearly as outgoing and social as she had once been. Her social life had really settled down into spending time alone or with a select handful of people. Not that it really bothered her much. Maybe it unsettled her a little, but she tried not to focus on it.

Instead, she turned her attention back to the conversation. "I haven't really tried out a lot of different things." The blonde admitted, fiddling with her fingers. Trying to settle down. "I know a lot of people my age have ideas of what they want to do by now, or at least know the general field but... but I honestly have nothing." While it felt freeing to admit, it was also extremely terrifying. Knowing that she had no idea what to do.

Dr. Neville suggested something in the field of entertainment. It visibly caught her interest, as Carleigh sat up a little straighter in the chair. "That could be helpful." She said with a nod. "Maybe I could find something there I would like." It was worth a shot; unless she tried, she would never know. "I would appreciate it if you did talk to someone and we can work to find something, if there are any openings."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

As an introvert, Sean found nothing inherently troubling about someone who preferred their own company, or the company of one person or a small group as opposed to larger groups and crowds. People grew socially during adolescence – those remained critical years of development in all areas – and even people who used to manage in larger groups finding that they preferred smaller ones rang no alarm bells. Instead, he found it far more distressing that Carleigh couldn’t think of any general interests of hers. That sounded more like ennui, which one might expect when facing a period of transition like graduation, or the possible beginnings of depression.

He would keep an eye on her.

At least she perked up when he mentioned his contacts in the local entertainment avenues. “I’d be happy to talk to them,” he assured her with a small smile. “And I’ll be sure to let you know what they tell me.” If it meant that they had openings, or they knew of someone else with openings. Whatever they said, he would pass on to her, as was only fair.

“Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?” He didn’t mean only regarding graduation and what she would do with her time. Anything else on her mind, he was happy to listen to and discuss with her.

[Carleigh Davidson]

"Thank you," Carleigh mentioned, grateful that Dr. Neville was kind enough to invest his time in helping her out for a life post graduation. "Until then I'll keep looking for other jobs. Something to get me on my feet, at least."

She shook her head, a small reassuring smile on her face. Graduation was the major source of Carleigh's stress and everything else was only minor details to deal with. Her family had to come around one day; her solution was to give it more time. Things were beginning to settle between them. "No, thank you though. I think everything else is good. Graduation was the main cause of my anxiety for the future.

Her smile widened. "Thank you so much for everything Dr. Neville. I really appreciate all of your help today and ever since I came here."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Unfortunately, until the United States adopted a more Scandinavian model (something Sean expected never to happen and certainly not during his lifetime or Carleigh’s), graduation would remain stressful, because it led only to uncertainty. There were no guaranteed jobs, no guaranteed future, and the transition from Hammel to the adult world was more difficult and abrupt than from most high schools into the adult world.

Although high school was a poor microcosm of the world around them, Hammel was completely artificial. Even living in Pilot Ridge as an adult differed so greatly from going to Hammel as to render them unrecognizable to each other. The school taught the students to cope, but young adults grew so much between eighteen and nineteen years old, and the change from sheltered, superpowered Hammel to the colder and more distant world around them was enormous.

However, he returned her smile. “I’m sure we’ll find you something.” Through one contact or another, Carleigh would find a job, simply because Pilot Ridge’s unemployment rate was so low, particularly when compared with the rest of the nation.

He then nodded his head, both in acknowledgment and to say goodbye to her for now. “You’re welcome, as always. If I can help with anything else, don’t hesitate to come down.” Then, before she left, he added, “Even after graduation, my door will always be open.”