Amanda Takes Off...

"Ms," said one of my students, "you need a dog."

"Why?"

"Well, I just worry about you at home."

I smiled. "Why's that?"

"Don't you get lonely? You don't have a TV. I think you need a dog to keep you company. I mean, what do you do when you get bored?"

"Study Korean—"

"But that's like school!"

"It's fun to me," I said, "And I go bowling, I read, I write, I knit, I garden... I talk to my husband. We go for walks. And when I want to watch TV, I can watch it online."

"But you don't have video games, right?" he asked.

"Right. No video games."

"Hmm. Maybe you can have fun without a TV and video games," he said.

He sounded rather doubtful, though.