This past week was midterm week. We had no formal class. We were required to meet with Professor Mangini, submit an elevator pitch to persuasively argue our grade, and submit a link to our weebly homepages. I decided to submit through email. I figured that it would be easier for the professor and myself. Besides, I deserved a day off with my wife and kids. I haven’t had a day off with my wife and kids since school started. As far as my midterm went, I had little work to do as far as polishing up my weebly site as I have been refining it all along the way. Small gradual steps sometimes eliminate the necessity for large leaps. Work smarter not harder is my motto. I was very excited about my elevator pitch. I spoke with Kylie and she had an awesome idea for writing her pitch in calligraphy on a big wooden A.
I brainstormed ideas and became frustrated. I felt like my hard work was strong enough to speak for itself. I actually considered meeting with my professor, handing him a blank piece of paper, and telling him “This is the only thing I haven’t done that you asked me to do.” I thought that was kind of a risky and tacky move, and could go over well or horribly bad. I actually love being creative and doing my assignments. The whole elevator pitch assignment made me feel like a crackhead begging for change. I didn’t think I should beg for an A. I believe I earned one. The gears in my head were turning as I brainstormed. I came up with a bunch of ideas. “Oh, this is all bloody rubbish”, I told myself with a British accent. Then it struck me… “Dress like a homeless guy and sit outside of Mangini’s office with a cardboard sign that says “Will Write For A’s.” I considered setting up my parents old type writer and putting on a big show outside his office. Maybe I’d flag down students that walked by and ask if they had any A’s that they could spare. Then I thought about the sleezy bootleggers who line their trench coats with fake Rolex's on Canal Street in New York City. I considered wearing a trench coat and keeping my printed essays in the lining of my trench coat to sell discretely. “Hey Buddy, I got some of these papers. You wanna buy some?”
Then it clicked. I came up with the idea to video all these ideas, upload them, and edit them on my computer. I texted a coworker, explained what I wanted to do, and asked if he’d film me after work that night. He was with it. When I was leaving for work, I noticed my children’s alphabet magnets on the fridge. I grabbed the A’s. “These will do the trick”, I thought to myself. I ran up into the living room and grabbed a wooden block with an A on it and an A from my son’s alphabet puzzle.