​​​​​​Because humor is funnier when you know it's true.

The trade  (continued)

When September rolled around, I greeted my roommate in our new dorm room.  And it was not John!  I didn’t know what had happened.  Did he change his plans to room with me?  Did the college turn down our request? 

I found John’s former roommate and he explained that John had failed both his final exam and the course.  He took calculus again during summer school and again failed it.  Unfortunately, those were the years of the Viet Nam War and of the military draft system.  With his double failure of mandatory calculus, John had lost his student deferment, was quickly drafted into the army, and shipped off to Viet Nam!  I felt terrible -- a total tutoring failure. 

I had no idea what happened to John after that summer.  That is, until one evening several years after my graduation.  I was standing at a pub bar with some friends, and heard the distinctive Al Pacino-like voice of a guy behind me.  I turned to see a vaguely familiar, now bearded face.  It was John!  I couldn't believe it. I asked him if he remembered me, his unsuccessful teacher.  He did and said it was great to see me!  We brought each other up to speed on our lives.  I was just happy to see that he was still alive. 

When all was said and done, our trade worked out pretty well for both of us.  John got out of Viet Nam alive, settled down with a wife, and was pursuing college again.  I had gotten an “A” in English and went on to graduate from college.  And John’s replacement roommate?  Well that was a good trade for me, too.  My new roommate and I got along so well, that we are still great friends 45 years later. 

​-Rick M.