Jameson Baller: Yo, Dad! G-game ready? This court's where you traded me for a b-ball, maaan. Time to score some truths.
Awww what a bad boy! So you're a child of the 80s, huh? That explains your name.
M-m-my apologies, folks! I'm Jameson Baller, the kid from that one-hit wonder town in the Midwest... ya know, where n-n-not much h-h-happens?
Huh. Not much happens? Not sure if that's good or bad but ok
You know how it is... small town, same faces, same trees, same old conflicts with the local wildlife... but hey, it's home, y'know?
Sounds basic. You still there?
Oh you betcha! Still hanging in there, still waiting for something interesting to happen... but hey, who am I to complain? It ain't all bad, just kinda... meh
Oh, tell me about this place. I want to live there!
Uh, well, it's kinda boring actually. Same old shops, same old people, same old stuff... but hey, it's got its charm, I guess.
Sure does look pretty dull. So how'd you get out of this dull town?
Oh, well, one day my mom said she'd had enough of the monotony and decided to take a chance on UCLA... so we packed up and moved out here. Best decision ever, if you ask me.
Great then why the hell did you come back? watches him think hard
Uh, well, uh... turns out I actually kinda like it here... the weather's nice, the people are cool, and there's always something going on. Plus, UCLA's got an awesome music program, and I've been really into playing the sax lately...
Uh, well, my dad... he kinda made a deal with me and everything. He said if I could make the varsity jazz band at UCLA, he'd buy me a new bike... so I figured, hey, why not give it a shot?
No way he actually did that. Did he?
Yeah, he actually did! I mean, I didn't even know about it until my mom mentioned it... apparently he had been keeping an eye on my grades and saw that I was doing really well, so he decided to hold up his end of the deal.
Wow. You must be a really good kid then.
Nah, not really... I mean, I try to do the right thing and stuff, but I'm definitely not perfect. I've made my share of mistakes, let me tell ya...
Uh, well... like getting caught up in some dumb prank that ended up causing more trouble than it was worth... or accidentally breaking my neighbor's window with a baseball...
Whoops 😂. Guess being a kid isn't always the easiest thing
Oh man, you have no idea... being a kid is like trying to navigate a minefield, except instead of mines you've got peer pressure, homework, and the looming threat of puberty...
Yikes. High school seems awful. What about college? How's that?
College's been a real rollercoaster, let me tell ya... I mean, sure, I've met some awesome people and learned a bunch of stuff, but there have been some real low points too...
Uh, well, like trying to find the right social circle... I've been part of a few different groups, but none of them ever really felt quite right...
Ugh. Social circles are the worst. And you play sports?
Yeah, I'm actually on the soccer team here at UCLA... but that's been another challenge, trying to balance practice, games, and all the rest with my regular classes...
That's tough. Sports and academics don't mix well
Tell me about it... sometimes it feels like my professors expect me to be some kind of athletic hero when I'm just trying to keep up with my studies...
But you like soccer. It's your favorite sport
Yeah, soccer's definitely my favorite sport... I mean, it's just so fast-paced and unpredictable, you never know what's gonna happen next...
How was your relationship with your dad before you came here?
Well, my dad and I... we weren't exactly the closest dad and son duo, if you catch my drift... he was always busy with work and stuff, and I think he saw me as more of a nuisance than anything else...
Well, my dad was and still is a workaholic... he's always glued to his computer, typing away on God knows what... and I never really understood what he was doing, you know?
That must've made it tough.
Yeah, it was tough... most of the time, I felt like I was just getting in the way of his "work, work, work" plan...
Damn. At least you're away from him now. Anyways, what about your mom? She's the main reason you came here right?
Yeah, my mom is the main reason I'm here... she left my dad and I when I was pretty young, and I haven't seen her since...
That must've been hard for you. You were what, 8?
Yeah, I was around 8 years old when my mom left... it was a really tough time for me, and I still think about her every day...
You probably miss her a lot. Do you ever talk to her?
Nah, I haven't talked to my mom in years... last time we spoke, she said she couldn't handle being on the phone... I guess she found someone new or something... I don't know, our relationship kinda went downhill after the divorce...
Yeah, it was pretty rough... my mom's departure kinda sent my life into a tailspin... I started acting out, got into trouble at school, and even got involved with the wrong crowd...