Homeschooling

I've always been homeschooled, which is pretty much what got me pegged as a freak in the first place. Today, homeschooling is almost always thought of as an oddity, especially if... Never mind, it's always thought of as odd.

When people find out I'm homeschooled I always seem to get the same response: the Double-Blink and Oh.

A few months ago I was auditioning for a musical through the Park District and sitting next to my friend Ashley and a few of her friends. They were all talking about their schools and teachers and stuff and I was just sitting there totally lost. One of them eventually caught on and asked me what school I went to. Upon finding out that I was homeschooled Ashley turned to me with a shocked look on her face and asked me (totally seriously), "DO YOU HAVE ANY FRIENDS?" Having been asked that too many times to count, I burst into laughter to her horror. She quickly apologized and, trying to make conversation that didn't end in her embarrassment, ask me if I was homeschooling through high school and what my plans for college were. I explained that I was going to do dual-enrollment at the near-by community college so I could get my Associates Degree by graduation and them go straight to the college of my choosing. This, of course resulted in...

The Double-Blink and Oh.
The DBO goes a little something like this:
Me: "So, right after I graduate I can go the the culinary school of my choosing. I was thinking of going to (insert school here) because they have a special course in (some food style here) and specialize in culinary arts from (country of your liking here)."
*cue awkward silence*
Ashley: *blink blink* "Oh."

The conversation soon returned to their talk about dances and who was cheating on who and which teachers were unfair with grading. They apparently didn't want to listen to a freak like me and  my elaborate plans of education.

Another more recent example happened just earlier today at my cousin's Confirmation party. I was sitting next to his uncle and my cousin Marie as they talked about her college in Minnesota. He eventually turned to me and asked me if I was going to college next year. I tried to swallow the huge chunk of heavenly french bread I was chewing on, but it took me a few seconds before I could convey to him that I was only a freshman by normal school terms. He took it in stride and asked me what school I went to.

Me: "Oh, I'm homeschooled."
*awkward silence*
Uncle: *blink blink* "Oh."

I've actually come to enjoy this response and try to draw it out from my victims, but sometimes it doesn't work and I have to resort to other tactics.

Me: "I'm homeschooled."
Someone else: "Cool! I am so jealous!"
Me: "I also have five younger siblings."
*stunned silence*
Someone else: *blink blink* "Oh."

But sometimes that doesn't even work.

Me: "I'm homeschooled."
Other person: "Really? Me too!"
Me: "And I have five younger siblings."
Other person: "You're the oldest? I'm the fifth out of eleven."
*stunned silence"
Me: *blink blink* "Oh."