Setting:
​
The front of a small cave high atop a huge mountain.
Characters:
​
Sage: Ancient bearded man wrapped in a heavy robe
Kim: Bright young lady who appears constantly confused
Jim: Scruffy looking young man with low-riding baggy pants
and a vintage Tony Hawk tee shirt
Slim: Young man who looks to be the most scholarly of the
group.
Sage: Kim, what bothers you my child?
Kim: (Looking surprised) How do you know my name?
Sage: I’m a Sage, knowing things is my business. Now again I ask, what is
getting in the way of your success?
Kim: I don’t know.
Sage: Jim, hey homie, help her alright?
Jim: Why you be talkin’ different to me?
Sage: Isn’t this the way you and your posse communicate?
Jim: Yeah but you’re not one of us.
Sage: Thanks for that but if you desire my assistance it might be prudent to
be more respectful!
Jim: OK, My bad, I’ve watched her try to study and she’s just plain lazy.
Sage: To correct your assertion: She Chooses to be Lazy! Lazy isn’t a
disease that you pick up off a door knob…It’s a choice you make.
Jim: Yeah, OK Mr. wiseass…she really doesn’t want to study or she
probably would.
Sage: Now we’re getting somewhere. Let's find out what she CHOOSE to do with the time she knew she
should be studying? What about it Kim? What did you prioritize above writing that essay on the French
Revolution?
Kim: Prioritize?
Sage: (growing impatient) Yeah what exactly did you do last night that replaced the hour and a half you had
set aside to write?
Kim: Well "Jenny poo"…my besty texted me about her jerk wad boy toy who decided to dump her. She was
destroyed!!! Man what was I supposed to do? What would you do?
Sage: I get the whole concept about being there for a friend but I'm guessing that she is still in the same state
of feeling "dumped" that she was before you came running to her aid?
Kim: She's still pissed if that's what you're asking.
Sage: Might I suggest that your response to further "Jenny poo" drama might be to directly define exactly what
she expects from you and then tell her what you are able to do. Clearly you have no control of her "Boy toy" nor would you want to. You might ask her to direct her anger at a written response to him and then make the call to move on. Clearly he deserves zero time and energy if he gets off on "dumping" people!
Slim: What’s your issue?
Slim: Wow, dude you're kinda a douche when it comes to support!
Sage: Well, my approach would have been kinder to "Jenny poo" in the long run. I gave her credit for being
able to solve her own problem, while salvaging her time to finish a school assignment. Shall we get back to talking about your reason for climbing this rock to see me?
Slim: Ah, well, I procrastinate.
Sage: A fancy way of saying you also choose not to do something but you introduce the possibility of
“perfection issues”?
Slim: And by that you mean fear of starting something I might not be perfect at? Fear of failure?
Sage: You are the sharpest tool in this shed, aren’t you?
Slim: Ah, maybe?
Jim: Hey, what’s your trip dude? We bust our butts trekking up here and you're dissin’ us big time?! Help
all of us … tell us what we need to do; MAN!
Sage: Let me check something out with all of you. Do you think I have any
ownership of your issues?
Kim: Ah, well you’re smart and all but you don’t control what I do!
Jim: Get real, as I said before you ain’t one of us!
Slim: I guess not. We are responsible for our choices, not you!
Sage: Good…We’re all on the same page now. Even I can only work on my own stuff; what I own.
Jim: But we were told that you know everything. You knew our names.
Sage: I know what you know!
Kim: HUH? (More confused than ever)
Jim: That’s freaky!
Slim: But I really need to finish my big essay by Friday and I haven’t even started.
Sage: And what happens if you don’t do it?
Slim: I’ll fail a graduation requirement.
Sage: So not graduating in June means…?
Slim: My entire summer will be ruined by having to go to summer school.
Sage: And that means?
Slim: Stop messing with me. I see what you’re doing. You’re getting me to take ownership for this whole
thing aren’t you?
Sage: Again you demonstrate having a few brain cells to rub together!
Jim: Yeah, so Slim is the bright one but you still haven’t told us what to do to get what we want.
Sage: Oh, that’s easy. Make yourselves miserable!!!
All together: SAY WHAT???
Sage: Discipline yourselves.
Kim: Like “time out” or something?
Sage: Something like that but the adult version…You love texting so don’t do it until you’ve finished the
assigned work.
Jim: Man, that’s harsh!
Sage: Did somebody tell you that getting what you want would be easy? Surround yourself with a support
system. True friends will hold you
accountable if they have your best interest at heart. If they want you
to march with them in June, they will be part of your solution. If not,
they are part of your problem.
So was I worth the walk up here?
Slim: It seems like you didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know.
Sage: Knowledge without action is worthless. Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got to dig up some change for the PIZZA delivery guy.
1. What did the Sage mean “Knowledge without action is worthless”.
2. What kind of support system can you access to help you?
3. Your choice of a discussion topic on laziness
#40 A VISIT WITH A SAGE (Skit)
