Auuuuuugh.

So I was on my way upstairs between turns, and Dad ambushed me, sat me down, and asked me what my plans for the future were. Argh. I wasn't planning to start fighting about this for a few more years. So I stalled a little bit and then said I wanted to go to college and major in English. Further interrogation produced the statement that I'd like to become a writer, or maybe get a job in publishing, the addendum promptly falling by the wayside. He extracted the information that yes, I had written a few stories. Where were they? Scattered around. Could Dad read them? Over my dead body.* Why did I want to become a writer? Because I'd prefer to do something enjoyable with my life. Then he pulled out his specific counter-argument, which was not at all what I expected^, so maybe there's something in what Doug says about preparing specific counters to his arguments, i.e., it's futile.** Anyway. He said that I could not as a good Christian in all conscience go to college, knowing as I do that they are a device for the social engineering of anyone who might still be a Christian into mindless little drones. I think he was afraid I'll come home a lesbian. Um. So he ended up handing me Naomi Wolf's End of America, which I have too started, thankyouverymuch. He said we'll resume when I've finished it.**** I would like to point out that he started this when I had absolutely no possible backup or reinforcements available. Mom was at work, Doug was at class, and Peter, whose assistance would be questionable but might try to help, was in the study at Battleaxe, where he could probably hear but neither see nor interfere.


*In summary. More or less. Condensed form.

**Although I hadn't really tried, not expecting to have this discussion anytime soon.

***And I think I'm ashamed to admit that it only just occurred to me that that's a loophole to not have this discussion for at least another year. Not that it alone would hold it off that long, but at least then I could put it off indefinitely instead of resuming it of my own free will. And he might forget. Another way of looking at it is that he handed me a method for putting this off until I'm ready.

^Further(/other/expected) possible arguments on his part:

It'll all go down the tubes and you'll be away from home.
It'll all go down the tubes before you get a chance to go.
It'll all go down the tubes so you should at least learn something useful.

Any others?