EXT. HIGHWAY - CHEVY CAPRICE CLASSIC - DAY - 80 YEARS AGO
Backing away from Jim's wrinkled eye we see now his eye at 11 years old playing rock, paper, scissors with his two brothers in the backseat while his parents argue about his Dad's job.
CATHERINE
If you are so unhappy, why don't you just quit?
BILL
Easy for you to say, you don't do anything all day.
CATHERINE
I could get my job back as a teacher's assistant. Then you could go back to school and get your degree.
EXT. CAR PULLING INTO GAS STATION
INT. CAR
BILL
I'm not going to school for four years so we can get more in debt, then end up with a job that sucks just as much as this one! Life's a bitch then you die!
EXT. Bill gets out of the car.
INT. CAR
CATHERINE
Bill! Don't listen to him, life is as happy as you want it to be. Your Dad just chooses to be grumpy.
JIMMY
Why Mommy?
CATHERINE
Because the biggest lie we tell ourselves is that there comes a point in our lives we are all done with making choices. We all have choices every day.
JIMMY
Even me?
CATHERINE
Especially you.
MATTHEW
Me too?
CATHERINE
All three of you. There is a story of two twin little boys.
Bill gets back into car.
BILL
Gas is too damn expensive!
CATHERINE
Like I was saying this is he story of twin boys. One was a pessimist and the other an optimist.
JACK
What does that mean?
CATHERINE
It means that you either look at the good in life or the bad in life.
JACK
Like you and Dad.
BILL
Watch your mouth boy.
CATHERINE
So the Mommy and Daddy brought them to the doctor who said that he could help out. First thing he did was take the boy that saw the bad in everything and put him in a room with tons of toys. Then he put the kid that saw only the good in life in a room with horse poop up to his waist.
JIMMY, JACK, AND MATTHEW
Yuck! Gross!
CATHERINE
The doctor figured that this would make the happy boy a little more realistic about life and the sad boy happier about life. They waited one hour and then came back to find the pessimist boy had broken some of the toys and was complaining there was nothing to do. The doctor said will that didn't go so well. So they walked down the hall to the happy boy and to their amazement they discovered the boy running around the room throwing poop in the air and smiling cheek to cheek. As he ran by the doctor grabbed his arm and asked what are you doing? The boy looked up enthusiastically and said, "With all of this horse poop, there must be a pony in here somewhere.
MATTHEW
Disgusting.
CATHERINE
What you have decide about yourself is, are you a person that complains in heaven or the kind to stand in poop and look for the pony.
INT. BOYS BEDROOM - NIGHT
CATHERINE
Sweet dreams Jackie.
JACK
What are dreams?
CATHERINE
A dream is one of the most powerful tools you will ever have at your fingertips. It's like a wish that you can turn into something real.
JACK
Like what?
CATHERINE
Anything. Let's say you want to be a astronaut when you get big, that's your dream. Then you just have to do work everyday to take baby steps to achieve that big dream and the next thing your on the moon.
MATTHEW
Can I have more than one?
CATHERINE
Sure, you can have as many as you want.
MATTHEW
Good cause I have two. I want to be rich and get married.
JACK
I want to be a hero!
CATHERINE
What kind of hero?
JACK
A super hero!
CATHERINE
Ah the only kind. What about you Jimmy?
JIM
I want to be a Grandpa.
CATHERINE
Why do you want to be a Grandpa?
JIM
Because Grandpa said Grandpas are the happiest people in the world.
CATHERINE
You know why Grandpa is so happy?
JACK
Because he doesn't go to school!
CATHERINE
Maybe. But it's also because he has family around him that loves him. I'm sure you are going to be a super Grandpa one day but first you will have to be super sleepers. Goodnight sweeties.
Catherine turns off the light and exits as the boys close their eyes.
MR. OLIVER (V.O)
It's funny how you don't remember many moments of our youth while other moments are replayed with so much clarity.
YOU ARE READING
I QUIT
General FictionJim is living a normal life until tragedy changes his life forever. He will have to decide between starting over or continue living in this life of mediocrity.
