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April 28, 2008 |
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The Wrong School
FOUND by Paul Baker
in Madison, Wisconsin
This note had blown under the bike rack when I came in to work this morning at the university. Poor Niels, whoever he is. I was in his position once, so it sent chills down my spine. And is "Dad" sympathetic, or gloating?
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No Nuthin June 05, 2005 |
Abandoned Bbq August 30, 2005 |
Feminine Masculine May 09, 2006 |
Jazz Hands, Dad!... July 14, 2005 |
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We collect FOUND stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework,
to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone bills, doodles -
anything that gives a glimpse into someone
else's life. Anything goes...
I hope he's not gloating. Really I do. I almost wish this note had been written on a Ben or something- at least a twenty!!
I like how Dad's H's are a part of the top of his T's. That's kinda cool.
good luck Niels. I hope you're happy with your choice of school.
I didn't think "Dad" was gloating at first glance. He did sign it LOVE Dad after all.
But then I noticed that pair of frowning eyes staring down from the top of the note. a bit disapproving, very stern looking eyes.
i think i chose the wrong degree..
I think I've made a lot of wrong choices.
I agree with The Captain in Tenille. Those T's and h's are cool. Dig it. I'm ganna use that. Thanks Neils' Dad!
Dad,
Why do you think I chose that school in the first place? Yeah, I know, the school you like would probably give me a better education, but that one's only 15 min away and I'd probably end up living at home.
I'd rather make my own choices than go on living in your shadow.
Love, Neils
Niels had discussed his choice, the Wisconsin School of Business, with his family. He really wanted to and did apply for a place in the Gaylord Nelson School of Environmental Science. Care of the environment is something new to Niels' family. This is why his father writes personal messages on bleached paper. The note is under a bike rack can be explained by the fact this is the quickest way the family can now communicate with Niels: He doesn't have a mobile; as he doesn't have a car and only rides bikes, he will return to the bike stand sometimes soon.
Paul shouldn't have taken the note. Poor Niels will now never know that everything has been forgiven.
I hope Niels checks into Found soon.
I now choose to go back to work.
School of thought?
School of fish?
School of art?
Help me out here, Neils's dad. Need a little more specificity.
Dads have a way of (usually) always being right. Too bad most people don't realize it until they're 25 or 30.
I feel pretty sure that it is just a little joke of some kind. Though I can't conjure up a scenario - maybe someone else can?
I combine all kinds of letters in similar ways as the "th" b/c I am a lazy and messy handwriter (except when I use all-caps, which is nice-looking) - now I can feel better!
Niels:
I think you chose the wrong Dad.
Love, Erp
No, no, no...you guys have got this all wrong. Dad attached this note to the University of Illinois' 2007 "Girls of Engineering" nudie calendar. Niels' dad, what a thoughtful guy!
My dad is mostly right about stuff but there have been a few decisions of my own that my dad has disagreed with but I have no regrets. I'll never forget the night before I headed to college. My dad was so upset at the prospect of me moving two states away that he kicked me out of the house!!! It's funny now though. He's actually glad I made the decision instead of listen to him. I graduated from that school cum laude when all I ever made in grade school was average Bs and Cs. I more or less worked my butt off to prove to him that I could make good decisions.
I had the same thought as Lance Pants, that either dad just got done partying with the sorority girls at the college across town and thinks his son picked some lame school, or that this note was paper-clipped to some Playboy girls of the ivy league schools type of issue. Dad is dirty little bugger. Poor Neils, trying to focus on midterms with his dad pestering him with stories of what he did on Friday night.
My Dad called me up when I was in college to tell me I chose the wrong school, he never bothered with silly notes. Thanks, Dad!
It's clearly a joke, but it's not written by Neil's dad or he would have spelled his name right.
Unless, of course, it is some kind of veiled threat by a fellow student.
So this is Kyles Brother ? Dad is pretty harsh at least kyle got 5 bucks ...Niels must be even worse than kyle ...Such an angry Dad.
I think joking, rather than sympathetic or gloating. I dunno about the playmates theory, but something along those lines.
It seems a note would be an inadequate vehicle to discuss which school Niels should be attending. I remember the long conversation with my dad to discuss which college I should attend, how much it costs, where it is located, etc. Maybe Niels should be glad that Dad summed it all up in ten words.
My dad would totally have attached a note like this to some article or magazine about party schools.
@Heather Ela:
0_o Wow! Those do look like eyes. Awesome.
For some reason I can only think of the name Niels bein spoken in a european accent such as dutch or german. I noticed a couple people spelled it Neils, they obviously see it as Neil with an s tacked on it.
Yes, Niels is a Dutch name. And because they speak the same language, it's also Flemish/Belgian), and probably German too. So I'd expect his dad to write this note in dutch...
I find it interesting that it's signed DAD, not Dad. My Dad signs his name in capitals too. I've always found it odd. I don't sign my name KRISTA.
I think that DAD is genuinely concerned about Niels. Maybe Niels is short for Nielson. Anyway... and he wanted to let him know, but didn't really know how so in the end he wrote a note. He addressed it to Niels... but then didn't know what to say (hence the little "frowny eye" dots, where he was tapping his pen on the paper while thinking of what to say). Then in a flourish, he just blurted it out. And to soften the blow, he made sure he signed it "love" dad, so that Niels knows he's not mad.
One of my friends in high school was named Niels and goes to college in Madison...I wonder if its the same one
First of all,the fact the Niels has a "choice" of schools shows that Niels is doing alright for himself...I'm not worried about Niels...he'll be fine..better than fine.
.....
(that kid over there sees dead people)
This is EXACTLY like my dad's handwriting.
EXACTLY. how scary.
I may have a brother?
Those aren't eyes! They're a semi colon and the dot of his 'i.'
I don't think this is a gloating dad. I think this is a dad making a joke. Yay, DAD.