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fandomhigh2019-05-09 08:48 am
endsthegame) wrote in fandomhigh2019-05-09 08:48 am
Entry tags:
Practical Philosophy, Thursday
The weather was okay. Overcast, but it wasn't raining, so as per his tradition, Ender had asked all the students to gather on the dorm lawn. There were pillows, blankets, bottles of water and sandwiches.
He greeted the arriving students with a, "Sit down in a circle, please. If we're going to talk, we should ensure we're all facing each other equally."
He shoved the sandwiches to the center of the circle, so everyone could access it.
"Welcome," he said. "My name is Andrew Skywalker. I'm an alumnus of this school; I graduated several years ago." That was all they needed to know, as far as he was concerned. "And you might be wondering what you signed on for. I'll give you the spiel I give my students every year I'm here - but this is the only class that is prepared or rehearsed to any capacity. That, after all, is the point of it."
"While 'philosophy' is in my class's title, we're not here to talk about the philosophers of old or the specifics of particular lines of thought in philosophy. In this class, we try to put our own experiences into a greater perspective through conversation and debate. Above all, philosophy is about asking questions about everything in the world around us - and about everything we feel about it. That means I expect some level of participation from all of you."
He smiled wryly. "That doesn't mean you always need to speak up about yourself," he said. "No topics are everything to everyone. If that week's subject veers too close to something you want to keep private, be my guest - just try and pitch in when someone else speaks. Ask questions."
"You can even ask questions of me, if you feel the need. And maybe together we can get to the core of our joint and individual experiences. Or maybe not. Maybe this is just going to be the hour this term where you get to sit around and gab." His mouth quirked a bit more. "That doesn't mean we're always going to be lingering on the existential questions - or staring at our belly buttons. It just means we're going to try and dig and come to some understanding about each other, ourselves, and the world."
He picked up a bottle of water. "So let's talk," he said. "How do you feel about where you are now? You've been on this island for close to a week; is it speaking to you, in a metaphorical sense? What kind of experience has it been for you? As for the rest of you, how has the past year treated you? Has there been anything that made you cry or made you think or made you wonder?"
"We can talk about that. Or you can bring up something else you feel is worth questioning. I consider most topics fair game, as long as they're brought up with regard for your fellow students. I can't claim knowledge on most, but I can claim an ability to annoy you with questions about just about anything."
He grabbed a sandwich from the bag. "Every week, we'll reflect on something that happened since we last met, but I'm always open to speaking about anything that comes to mind." He nodded at one of the students. "I've talked for long enough. It's your turn."
He greeted the arriving students with a, "Sit down in a circle, please. If we're going to talk, we should ensure we're all facing each other equally."
He shoved the sandwiches to the center of the circle, so everyone could access it.
"Welcome," he said. "My name is Andrew Skywalker. I'm an alumnus of this school; I graduated several years ago." That was all they needed to know, as far as he was concerned. "And you might be wondering what you signed on for. I'll give you the spiel I give my students every year I'm here - but this is the only class that is prepared or rehearsed to any capacity. That, after all, is the point of it."
"While 'philosophy' is in my class's title, we're not here to talk about the philosophers of old or the specifics of particular lines of thought in philosophy. In this class, we try to put our own experiences into a greater perspective through conversation and debate. Above all, philosophy is about asking questions about everything in the world around us - and about everything we feel about it. That means I expect some level of participation from all of you."
He smiled wryly. "That doesn't mean you always need to speak up about yourself," he said. "No topics are everything to everyone. If that week's subject veers too close to something you want to keep private, be my guest - just try and pitch in when someone else speaks. Ask questions."
"You can even ask questions of me, if you feel the need. And maybe together we can get to the core of our joint and individual experiences. Or maybe not. Maybe this is just going to be the hour this term where you get to sit around and gab." His mouth quirked a bit more. "That doesn't mean we're always going to be lingering on the existential questions - or staring at our belly buttons. It just means we're going to try and dig and come to some understanding about each other, ourselves, and the world."
He picked up a bottle of water. "So let's talk," he said. "How do you feel about where you are now? You've been on this island for close to a week; is it speaking to you, in a metaphorical sense? What kind of experience has it been for you? As for the rest of you, how has the past year treated you? Has there been anything that made you cry or made you think or made you wonder?"
"We can talk about that. Or you can bring up something else you feel is worth questioning. I consider most topics fair game, as long as they're brought up with regard for your fellow students. I can't claim knowledge on most, but I can claim an ability to annoy you with questions about just about anything."
He grabbed a sandwich from the bag. "Every week, we'll reflect on something that happened since we last met, but I'm always open to speaking about anything that comes to mind." He nodded at one of the students. "I've talked for long enough. It's your turn."
Re: Talk.
"Oh," he admitted, fairly gushing, "I think things have been absolutely wonderful! I have had the advantage of two truly exhillerating and spectacular adventures in the last month, and here we are, on the very edge of an exciting new summer here on glorious Fandom Island! The summers not only provide new friends to join us here, but also some of the best swimming I've had just about nearly anywhere besides my own home. I have an excellent new scar," here, his headtail twitched a little, but since he didn't quite have the mobility in his headtail as say, something like a lek, he turned his head to better show off the actual small chunk of flesh that was gone, "the most incredible, thrilling, heroic story you can imagine, I am absolutely and completely in love with the most amazing person I have ever had the honor to meet, and I simply cannot wait to see what still lies ahead. It has been a spectacular year, I don't think I've ever had a more magnificent one in my life!"
And he was almost eighty now, so, there were a lot of years to work with there!
He...had a feeling that Mr. Skywalker was aiming for something a bit more...introspective and perhaps even critical, but...that just wasn't Sidon, except perhaps...
His smile softened a little as he considered that, and he offered, a bit more mild but no less passionate, "It has made me very grateful to have had the opportunity to experience so many wondrous things in the company of so many dear and special friends."
Re: Talk.
"So what do you think has been your most valuable experience among them?" he asked.
Re: Talk.
"So I suppose," he continued, stroking his chin a little thoughtfully, "if I were restricted to choose but one of these marvelously worthy experiences as the one I valued the most, above all others....well, then, I simply must go with the one that has changed my life so momentously, so monumentally, that it simply soars above all the others. And that would be the experience of meeting my beloved Vette."
Sorry, everyone! Enjoy your newly acquired diabetes!!
Re: Talk.