Alana envisions her future

Well, I'm delighted. I'm delighted to hear that you're awesome. Um, how was school last week?

It was awesome. Um, I had a lot of fun. We're reading Alice in Wonderland right now.

Oh wow, had you ever read Alice in Wonderland before?

Not like— I've read different parts of different adaptations, but not like— I don't know if this is the original, but It looks pretty authentic.

So is it more complicated linguistically? Is the language more complicated than earlier versions you've read?

Yes, it is.

It's probably original then. The original is fairly complicated. Very cool. And what are you guys talking about as you read it?

Well, there's different conversations. It's introducing new characters. We're only on like the 6th chapter.

Go ahead.

Oh, I was just going to say that we've been discussing at different parts what Alice's conversations with other characters mean, because most of them have a lot of meaning in the story.

Why do you think Lewis Carroll Are you rocking in a rocking chair?

I am. Is that distracting?

A little bit. Your background is kind of going, ooh, ooh, ooh. Yeah, so if you could quit rocking, that would be good. Yeah, why do you think Lewis Carroll, the author, has things be so confusing?

Well, I wouldn't I mean, it's confusing, but I mean, I'm not sure. I don't know if that was just how they talked in his time, um, or just— I know he, um, we looked at one of his poems, The Jabberwocky or something, and it was, um, full of nonsense words. So I guess he has, or from my understanding, he has sort of a reputation of using, of, um not nonsense in Alice in Wonderland, but more you don't understand it as well.

And are there advantages in that? What, what's the advantage? I mean, compared to a regular story where you just kind of tell the story, um, are there any advantages in doing things the way he's doing it in Alice, or is it just strange?

Well, it's strange, but I think it makes it a bit more interesting and it's a bit more challenging also. And not many books are like that, or books that I read are worded like Alice in Wonderland.

Yeah, no, it's definitely different. And then jumping around, how is Python going?

It's going great. I'm Almost done with the course, though the last few chapters are particularly long. But I'm going to be going over it again. Colette and I are having a good time.

Good.

Yeah.

Are you still doing other Python projects in addition to that?

I am. So it's still Python, but it's way different from what we're doing in py4e.

Are you kind of using some of the tools you, you use from PY40 in your other Python?

I think that was more in the beginning. As the course moved on, it kind of branched off into its own separate subject, I guess.

Mm-hmm. Got it. Are you making something? I think you said at one point it was more projects, that other one.

Um, my other course?

Yeah.

Yes, it is based on projects, and since I have a teacher with me, I don't have to watch any videos, um, like PY4E. But, um, it's different in the way that I'm— or because PY4E is more based on what you would do in an actual job, right? And then I guess the other Python I'm doing is something that I'd wanted to do for a little while. It's just making games out of or with Python.

Yeah.

Yeah, so it's different there, but in the beginning of PY4E, the code had some similarity.

Got it. So I've been thinking about the future. Do you ever think about the future?

I do.

What kinds of futures do you think about?

Well, mostly good ones. Very few, very rarely bad ones. But I try to imagine myself in the position that I'd like to be in. It makes me happier and more optimistic.

So I'm very positive too. And of course, I love the fact that you're so positive. But give me some examples. What are some examples of positions that you imagine yourself in, positions you'd like to be in? That make you happy? What are some examples?

Um, well, I'd like to be further in my jiu-jitsu career. I'd like to know how to program in multiple ways. I'd also like to be financially comfortable and not really have to worry about any of that kind of stuff.

Um, I guess that's what everybody wants, but are these all things for when you are 15, 20, 25, 30, or you have no idea?

I'm not sure. I want to do things sort of younger, um, but I'm still on that path to getting there.

And so with jiu-jitsu, what is, what is the dream version of jiu-jitsu look like? Maybe let's say 10 years from now. So, um, yeah, you're 10 now. When you're 20, what, what does the dream version of jiu-jitsu look like when you're 20?

Um, well, hopefully I'll be more of a or not professional athlete, but I'd want to be competing, um, in as a higher level, um, when I'm 20. I know some 20-year-olds have reached that level, um, even younger than 20.

So that's my goal. So it sounds like you like competition and you also like being really good at jiu-jitsu.

Yes.

Got it. And then with programming at 20, what do you think you'd like to do in terms of programming when you're 20?

To be honest, I'm still a bit rough on that. I, I guess I've been doing jiu-jitsu a lot longer, so I kind of had a goal in mind. But as for programming, if I could think of anything right now, the basics would probably just be being able to code something that would help me gain a job or a career, um, even when I'm younger than 20.

That makes sense. And then go ahead and send to the money. Um, so would you like to start making money, uh, at coding when you're young?

Um, yes, I would, but I don't think I'm there yet. I think I still have a bit of ways to go.

Got it. Have you heard of Replit at all? R-E-P-L-I-T?

I believe I've heard it, but I haven't really looked into it.

It's a site where, among other things, you can get paid bounties to do some little bits of code. We've got another student. So, you know, often if somebody has a bit of code that they need to get written, they'll say, hey, could somebody write this for me? And then a bunch of people say, yeah, I could write it for you. And then they offer to write it. And then whoever is trying to get the code written picks somebody. And it's a bounty, kind of like a competition sort of thing. But it's a payment for getting the job done. And we have a 9th grade student who has gotten 3 bounties at Replit. And one of them, the most recently, he made $10, which is not very much, but he made $10 writing a little tiny bit of code for somebody.

Yeah.

So you're probably not too far away from getting to the point where you could go to Replit, and it may not be your thing, but, you know, what I'm saying is it's a site where you could actually bid for jobs, and once you're good enough, then you could make little bits of money writing code. And then part of what that gives you is experience as well, writing real-world code for people. Do you think that you might be able to write real little bits of real-world code for people?

Depending on what it is, I maybe, I'm not sure. I'd have to see what things they want me to write.

But the fact is there are teenagers who definitely make money and you're a long ways even from being a teenager. But you could definitely be making money doing this as a teenager. And is there any other path to— so we mentioned jiu-jitsu, coding, and making money. Are there any other futures you think about?

Those are the primary— or I just— my goals, my primary goals. Um, but sometimes I do think about near futures, um, and one of them is playing the piano because I want to learn specific songs.

Wow, that's cool. Have you, um, played a musical instrument at all before?

Um, I started playing the drums for maybe a little while when I was younger, um, but I'm interested in the piano now. So we have one at home and I've been working on that almost every day.

Excellent. Is somebody teaching you or you're teaching yourself?

I'm teaching myself, but I don't know how to read notes yet. I figure that this summer I'll learn how to, but for now I'm just going off of YouTube videos.

Marvelous. You can learn almost anything you want off YouTube videos and notes. There are different parts of learning notes, but learning the basics of note reading is not too hard. I think you get it really quickly. Now that I know that you're doing that, maybe I'll— I'm not— music is my least strong sort of thing. I'm much better, say, at math or reading or writing than music. But I probably remember the basics of reading notes, especially for piano.

Yeah.

Excellent. How about writing? At one point you were writing your books. Are you interested in writing or you're kind of phasing away from that?

I am interested in writing, and I do like writing a bunch. Um, we've been writing a whole lot more in humanities, so I'm getting a lot of practice from there.

But right now, that's not part of your future visioning?

Uh, I don't think about that as much as I do other things. Just as I think, I think about jiu-jitsu the most just because I do that more often.

Why do you think, why do you think that coding is taking up such a big part of your mind space?

Um, I mean, just, I think, I'm not sure. I guess that's also a big part, but I know that a lot of— there are a bunch of successful coders, um, and I know that if I maybe go down that road or some other road, I might be able to game that as well.

Got it. Do you talk about your future with your parents or other people?

Um, not really, not— I usually just, uh, when I'm just sitting down, just zone off thinking about stuff, mostly inside your head. Yes.

Marvelous. I think it's wonderful. I think it's wonderful to dream about different futures, um, and again, as you say, different positive ones. And part of it is that's how you envision a future, is, you know, and I— would you say it motivates you? Envisioning possible futures helps to motivate you?

Yes, it does.

That makes sense. How about more immediately this summer? Do you know what you're— do you have any plans for the summer?

I know the first few weeks. But not entire— the entire summer as a whole. But we do have some goals that we want to achieve this summer. For my family.

Do you want to talk about them, or is it just schools separate from you?

It's mostly school, but I can talk about it. Well, it's— they're not big, but for starters, we'd like to get to the beach more this summer. Um, we've gotten particularly busy and we haven't gone much, and we live right next to it, so it's really convenient.

Yeah.

Um, during the summer, my brother and I are gonna keep doing not schoolwork, but just keep learning. Um, I feel like last summer we kind of had a real break and that it was fun, but I think when I got to homeschool, I maybe could have used the work, but, um, it wasn't much of a problem. I think it was more the summer before.

Well, I am very impressed by your kind of awareness of these sorts of things. Um, would you add learning to play the piano as a goal over the summer?

Yes, definitely.

Excellent. Um, how about reading? Are you still reading much?

I am reading a lot. Um, besides in humanities and some other of my classes, I've been reading a bunch of mythology. Um, and I also just finished, uh, The Old Man and the Sea, and I'm reading The Lord of the Flies.

Oh wow, how far into Lord of the Flies are you?

A bit more than halfway. It's sort of taking me a long time.

Are you reading it for school or separate from school?

Um, it was for my own personal— uh, it was just for me, but I borrowed it from my homeschool library because I don't have my own copy at home.

So what do you think at the end of this? What do you think of that book?

Sorry, go ahead.

What do you think of that book?

Um, I think it's great so far. Um, it's really interesting, and I, I might read it over again. I'm obviously going to read it over again when I'm older, but I'm trying to make the most sense of it right now.

Got it. Um, well, in general, I think of you liking positive things. I would not describe Lord of the Flies as positive. Is that fair enough?

Can you say that again? You glitched out on me.

I would not describe Lord of the Flies as positive.

Not in most ways.

Yeah.

There's a lot to—

Yeah. I'll talk to you more about it when you're done because I think when you get to the end, there's a lot to talk about there. Marvelous. Well, I love learning that you are envisioning futures. And then another time we can also talk about negative futures. I think it's good to envision all sorts of futures, but mostly being positive. But I think it's good just think through things because it helps us set goals and motivate ourselves and envision who we might be. So delighted to hear about all that.

Thank you.

All right. In which case, I'm going to let you go and have a wonderful week and hopefully talk next week. Okay.

Okay, thanks, Michael. See you next week.

Thank you. Bye.