"Dinner Conversations"
Mom: Something good happen today?
Son: I found someone to pay for me to go to college.
Mom: Go on.
Son: OK, now before you ask, Ma, I already checked them out. And I can get training in just about any field I want. And besides—it's time for me to be the man.
Mom: OK, tell me more.
Son: OK. Well, I was thinking about being an engineer.

"Good Training"
Son: Dad, it's the Army Reserve.
Dad: It's the Army.
Son: No. I can still go to college.
Dad: It's the Army.
Son: I'm gonna be a part of something that's important. And it's the reserve, so they'll train me around here until they need me.
Dad: Good training?
Son: It's the Army.

"Listening" (A rough translation from the Spanish)
Dad: Listen, son: I just want to check. I thought the plan was for you to go to university.
[As the son begins to speak, his mother enters the room and stands behind him, listening in.]
Son: Dad, this is all part of the plan. The Army is going to help me. What's more, the training and experience that I get—it'll change my life. I'll become stronger.
Dad: I know.
Son: So can we go and talk to her?
[The mother smiles and approaches the son.]
Dad: We already have.

"Two Things"
Dad: You're a changed man.
Son: How's that?
Dad: When you got off that train back there you did two things you've never done before—at least not at the same time. You shook my hand, and you looked me square in the eye. Where'd that come from?