Twosday Doing Right, Doing Wrong
Tell us about a triumph, and about a failure
I'll discuss the failure first, to have it over with. My mother hosted a party once to try and impress some high society people, and the son of a minor baron was in attendance. Mother insisted I try to make friends. I did my best, but. . .well, we had absolutely nothing in common. Every topic of conversation I offered up, he shot down, and every topic he offered up, I knew almost nothing about. I also think he knew my mother told me to talk to him, which couldn't have helped matters. He walked out of the party unimpressed with me and my family, and I got a lecture from Mother on my lack of proper male interests.
As for a triumph. . . I really don't like to play piano in front of crowds, but I have managed it. Mother brought some people over after I'd been having lessons for about a year to hear me play. I was terribly nervous, but I managed to get through all the songs I learned without making a single mistake. I was very proud of myself. Mother even told me I'd done a nice job. I begged her not to make a habit of it, though. Fortunately, she didn't -- I think mostly because Father sensed that music was a more private thing for me and talked with her as well.
I'll discuss the failure first, to have it over with. My mother hosted a party once to try and impress some high society people, and the son of a minor baron was in attendance. Mother insisted I try to make friends. I did my best, but. . .well, we had absolutely nothing in common. Every topic of conversation I offered up, he shot down, and every topic he offered up, I knew almost nothing about. I also think he knew my mother told me to talk to him, which couldn't have helped matters. He walked out of the party unimpressed with me and my family, and I got a lecture from Mother on my lack of proper male interests.
As for a triumph. . . I really don't like to play piano in front of crowds, but I have managed it. Mother brought some people over after I'd been having lessons for about a year to hear me play. I was terribly nervous, but I managed to get through all the songs I learned without making a single mistake. I was very proud of myself. Mother even told me I'd done a nice job. I begged her not to make a habit of it, though. Fortunately, she didn't -- I think mostly because Father sensed that music was a more private thing for me and talked with her as well.