| abstract
| - A mock 60 Minutes-style opening follows Cory with his father's video camera as he talks about the plight of being the middle child. He points out Morgan's new clothes, including a gold necklace her mother lent her for a party. After they leave, Cory gives an over dramatic sign-off but accidentally drops and breaks the camera, leading the viewer into a fuzzy screen and then the credits. With Cory playing General Washington and Minkus playing King George, Mr. Feeny tries to stir up some lively discussion on history but Cory doesn't really care. He's more interested in his future which leads Feeny to assign the class their own personal history. They have to imagine what their lives would be like in 20 years, including personal histories leading up to it. Shawn plans to go to their class "pre-union" as a tire salesman since that's what his dad does and he's familiar with the work. Cory gets his mom to help him make all the props for his fabulous future as a center fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies. Morgan interrupts them and reveals that she traded Amy's necklace for a plastic one. When Amy calls the mother of Stephanie, the girl Morgan made the trade with, she finds that the mother refuses to give back the gold necklace. At school, Minkus, decked in a suit and tie, presents his future as an entrepreneur who has taken over Microsoft and is married to Topanga. Though Topanga, wearing a Greco/Roman toga sees herself as president of a country with a disbanded military and flowy uniform (as well as enslaved men kept underground for breeding). When it's Cory turn to present his proposed future, Feeny dings him on not researching the details, like how he'll manage his money and what he'll do after he's done with baseball. He gives Cory an incomplete on the project and Cory takes it to heart, feeling awful that his dreams are considered "incomplete". At home, Cory takes down all his baseball posters and souvenirs, feeling like he doesn't deserve them. He even brings down Eric with his downcast attitude. When his dad comes up to talk about it, Cory asks about his dad's dreams. Even though Alan didn't pursue his dream job, he got his dream of a wife and a family and he's sure Cory can be anything he wants to be if he sets his mind on it. Cory doesn't believe it so Alan decides to take some drastic measures. Meanwhile, Amy manages to solve her little problem by inviting over Stephanie and her mother and getting Morgan to trick Stephanie into another trade. Cory and Eric are surprised and excited when they find out their dad invited Jim Abbott to come talk to Cory. Jim Abbott tells Cory about never giving up on his dream but also stresses the value of getting an education. Cory's friends show up with baseballs for him to autograph (and Minkus accidentally arrives with a basketball). they talk Cory decides to keep trying his dream. Cory goes out and accidentally throws his ball into Feeny's yard. He tells Mr Feeny about what he learned from Jim Abbott and as a motivational gift, Mr. Feeny returns all of Cory's errant balls by dumping them onto the Mathews side of the fence. Amy and Alan watch TV and share a carton of ice cream in the pre-credits tag. He wonders if Amy regrets marrying a man who didn't pursue his dream of being an engineer. Amy definitely does not and just as she starts to prove it to him, Cory's and the video camera pop up from behind the couch.
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