Which Philosophy Are You?

In this exercise we will pick a philosophy or a strongly held belief. Examples of philosophies are hedonism and relativism. An example of a strongly held belief is that someone who can vote but chooses not to is a horrible person. We will then write a scene or a short story where the character embodies or lives the philosophy we have picked, without mentioning the philosohpy or directly stating what it stands for.

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        The sun had been up for a few hours. It felt warm shining on his face. Still with his eyes closed, he attempted to move a finger and then his hand pulling the covers over his head. 

        Why get up? What’s the point? It wasn’t an ordinary day. It was a beautiful fall day outside with the leaves changing and birds singing. It was an important day. It was Election Day. – The world is gone completely mad, he thought. At this thought, his body cringed a little as if inside him a little bit of faith still existed. He opened his eyes feeling somewhat hungry but still not getting up. 

        I have to go to the bathroom. He slept naked and when he got up, his muscular athletic body reflecting the sun light could have come out of a painting or an Italian sculpture but he didn’t move with charm. His movements were heavy as if carrying the world’s weight over his shoulders. In the bathroom his reflection was highlighted by two dark circles around his eyes and messy hair. His checks were smooth and clear. He had shaved the night before. Not out of any concern with his appearance but because his own beard bothered him and secretly because the way the pillow felt on his face was one of the few things he liked in the world. 

       The window in his room was big and revealing. Of course he had no curtains. Who cares? He got dressed and left for work. He was late and it wasn’t the first time. One thing he was good at was his work. His heartfelt skepticism made him as much as an eccentric and as an excellent professor. Students felt challenged by his cynicism. Not only did they try to prove him wrong but often both male and female students tried to win over his heart. But all efforts were in vain. He was indifferent to their attempts. – Students are so full of illusions, he would say to himself, impenetrable in his pessimism about life and about everything that comes with it.   

- NM 

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Ben's Story

       I am thinking today of Ben Adams and me, of our nights long ago in the grass. And how that one fall in the dark at Ben’s farm, it was not only all starlight and kisses. How sometimes we would stop and roll onto our backs and just lie for a while very still. Until after a while more, someone would say “There is something I want to tell you.” 

       It is not so unusual, I think. Lying outdoors in the dark side by side can make people want to say things. To say something to someone that matters. And so now and then on our nights in the grass, Ben and I would just talk and tell stories. About times we were young that have stayed on our minds—swinging alone in a park at dusk, knowing the exact point where the sun disappeared. Seeing an ocean the very first time, the thrill of wet sand between toes. Moments we just happen to remember, things we’ve not told before. 

       So then, there is one night with Ben in particular I recall and a small story he had to tell. Which was a big story when he told it, I think. It’s just that now I remember only parts. 

       That night Ben said that when he was young, a great redwood tree stood in his front yard. Ben was raised in the West, his family owned a small ranch. It was not so unusual for houses then to have redwoods. But this one redwood tree was spectacular. It was the biggest one on their whole ranch, so tall you couldn’t see to the top. And when Ben was little, he told me, he was convinced it was his own tree of life. 

       So he took that tree to heart, he said. Every day he would lean in close to it, his chest pressed into the bark, and he would stretch out his arms on either side. If he tried very hard, he believed in those days, he could reach all the way around. 

       “I just thought I should try for that tree,” Ben said. “I thought at the time it could happen. I would reach blind with both arms around that big tree and one day on the other side I’d feel the tips of my fingers touch. I guess I just thought that is what it’s about.” 

       I turned and tried finding Ben’s face in the dark. “What Ben?” I said. “What’s what about?” 

       Ben gave me a look, I could just see his eyes, the brief shimmer of light caught in them. 

       “All of it, Margaret. All of it.” He stopped. I could tell he did not much want to explain. But then, “Love, Margaret. Take love, for example. I thought maybe that’s what loving was like.” 

       Ben stopped again. Then watching me closely, his voice lower, “And if you were lucky, then dying too. Maybe something like dying too.” 

-BC

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Henry nervously picked at the cuff of his sleeve. His leg bounced and his shoe made a tap tap tap sound as his heel repeatedly hit the ground. He was sitting outside a small cafe on a wicker chair. The cafe was in a popular area and it was a beautiful day. The sun was out in all its brightness but there was a slight breeze and the temperature was just at the cusp of being too cold.  People walked by, some went in to grab coffee or a pastry, others stopped to talk to each other. Henry smiled to himself, happy at the thought of the day ahead.

He looked at every girl that walked in his direction, wondering if he needed to get up. Finally, after a handful of false alerts, she arrived. Short brown hair, glasses, and possibly the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. Her smile was so happy and welcoming he wasn’t sure his heart could handle it. Telling himself he was old enough to not be nervous around a pretty girl, he got up with as much confidence as he could muster and shook her hand.

“Hi.”

He smiled at her nervously.

“Nice to finally meet you in person!” she said.

He laughed.

“It took a while, but we finally did it.”

Henry pulled out a chair for her and she sat.

“Should we get something to drink?”

“Sure. Do you want to get it to go so we can walk around? It’s a really nice day.”

And there it was, Henry thought, the first of many obstacle he would have to overcome to successfully have a relationship. Why did it always have to be the ones he liked a lot that tested him so soon?

“I think that this place has plastic covers on their to go cups. Should we maybe have our coffee here and then walk around to help the environment a little?”

He tried to say it casually but he saw her eyes and they gave him away. She thought he was weird and was a little less sure now. Henry sighed. He could only keep trying.

They chatted amicably as they drank their coffee, and then they took the walk she had been wanting. Henry, shyly, took her hand. He half expected her to pull away but she turned to smile at him and held his hand. They walked this way for a good half of an hour, strolling, talking, looking at their feet as they revealed things about themselves that they hadn’t discussed with anyone for a long time. She kept pushing her hair behind her ears, and then finally gave up and took her hand from his to tie it up. Then she took his hand again and leaned against his shoulder as if they had been together for months. Henry’s heart was dancing.

The plaza they had had coffee in was next to a large fountain, a center for people to gather and sit and enjoy being outside together. They had walked over to the next plaza by now and she pointed out a store excitedly.

“Hey! That’s the newest physical Amazon store! Let’s go check it out!”

Aside from McDonalds, Henry was sure that Amazon was the worst business in existence. Commodifying everything, engaging in slave labor here in their very country, and pushing mom and pop businesses out of work. Amazon was the reason their country and the world was going into a rapid decay.

She was pulling at his arm, and, remembering the plastic incident of earlier, Henry allowed her to pull him in with her. She walked around, checking out the books for sale - ‘at the same prices as they are on Amazon, how cool is that!’ - the jewellery for prices that she should know were not sustainable - the purses that were too cheap to actually exist.

“I think I’m going to need a cart for this!” she laughed. She went to get a cart, and as she filled it with items from the store that Henry should never have entered, he pulled his hand from hers.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think this is going to work.”

He walked out, leaving her to stare after him, not sure what had just happened.

-FR

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