A Reason For Life

(In high school, I got into the habit of skipping my last class, study hall. I would often go home instead, and I couldn’t be bothered to hide, so my mom and I had some interesting exchanges when she’d find me. One day, I was too tired to make an excuse.)

Mom: *sees me hanging out with my older brother* “[My Name]? Again? Why are you not in school right now?”

Me: *casually* “Oh, you know… life.”

Mom: *pauses, then shrugs and walks away* “Well, all right.”

(My brother was shocked that she just accepted “life” as a reason, and even more shocked when I came home a week later with an official early release pass. Instead of giving me detention, my teacher gave me official permission to stop going.)