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fandomhigh2012-08-13 09:18 am
life_inshadow) wrote in fandomhigh2012-08-13 09:18 am
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Practical Philosophy, Monday, 8/13, Period 1
Tara, back before Ben and Ender, had stopped at J,GoB for an array of cupcakes and pastries when she realized it was still a class day. Which was weird: Even taking time differences into account, she felt like she’d been gone much, much longer than a week. It felt like fall should have come and gone long since. It hadn’t -- was still summer, in fact.
At class time, she set up a picnic table buffet of the baked goods and took Ender’s usual spot under a tree.
“Hi,” she said, speaking slowly but without her stammer. “So … Ender isn’t here, as you guys can probably see. Which means you’re stuck with me for the last class. I don’t think he planned on any final, and there’s no way I’m putting one together. But I wanted to talk about … the philosophy of what we owe each other after we go.”
Being in Ben’s galaxy had put the topic into her mind. So had her conversation with Kennedy the week before.
“Basically, we’re almost all … kind of going to go different places after we graduate. Or, for some of us, after we don’t graduate. But if you make it through even a year here, probably somebody’s saved your life at least once. Do you … owe it to them to try to return the favor, if they need you? Or do you owe it to the people who will enroll in a year, or five years, or ten, to … come back and try to teach, and try and give back a little tiny piece of what this place gave you?
"You might say you do. Or you might say no, that's crazy, I just want to go home and take care of myself for once. That nothing you could do is worth more than your life.
“I don’t know the answer. I know I don’t want to teach after this, but helping my friends … I hope I’ll always want to do that. Even when this place starts to seem really far in the past.”
She gestured vaguely toward the group. “What do you think?”
At class time, she set up a picnic table buffet of the baked goods and took Ender’s usual spot under a tree.
“Hi,” she said, speaking slowly but without her stammer. “So … Ender isn’t here, as you guys can probably see. Which means you’re stuck with me for the last class. I don’t think he planned on any final, and there’s no way I’m putting one together. But I wanted to talk about … the philosophy of what we owe each other after we go.”
Being in Ben’s galaxy had put the topic into her mind. So had her conversation with Kennedy the week before.
“Basically, we’re almost all … kind of going to go different places after we graduate. Or, for some of us, after we don’t graduate. But if you make it through even a year here, probably somebody’s saved your life at least once. Do you … owe it to them to try to return the favor, if they need you? Or do you owe it to the people who will enroll in a year, or five years, or ten, to … come back and try to teach, and try and give back a little tiny piece of what this place gave you?
"You might say you do. Or you might say no, that's crazy, I just want to go home and take care of myself for once. That nothing you could do is worth more than your life.
“I don’t know the answer. I know I don’t want to teach after this, but helping my friends … I hope I’ll always want to do that. Even when this place starts to seem really far in the past.”
She gestured vaguely toward the group. “What do you think?”
Re: Discussion [8/13, PP]
Re: Discussion [8/13, PP]
Re: Discussion [8/13, PP]