Thankful For A Classmate

        Philosophy has been a great class for me this year, as it has sparked certain ideas and set off trains of thought that I pursue both in and out of school. The class as a whole is a great experience, and I am thankful to two individuals in particular for their contributions to the classroom.
       The first honorable mention is Zach Hayes. I like having him in the room because he has a sharp mind and a great knowledge of history and politics. He keeps up with events past, present and future. When I speak, I know that if some dumb shit comes out of my mouth I'll get tapped on the shoulder from behind and told just that. Zach is also one of those people whose points in the classroom need to be closely followed in order to be fully appreciated, and he engages me mentally in following his lines of reasoning and making his mental leaps with him. Last but far from least, Zach is a bro, and is hilarious pretty much all of the time for one reason or another.
        Another individual who has significantly affected me in Phil of Lit this year is Stephen Maloy. In class, I oppose him as a diehard pessimist, but my rock solid wall of denial in regards to his optimism has got quite a few more cracks in it than I may let on. In our discussion of Candide's conclusion, Stephen expressed his support for the interpretation of the garden in which it was cultivated to eventually better the world around it. I viewed the garden as a haven, a place to cultivate for self and live in, sheltered and fully isolated from the evils of the world. Lately, I've been thinking about that discussion in terms of the allegory of the cave, and I have concluded that Stephen is a better man than I. If the garden is to be man's purpose, work, fulfillment and, eventually, his revelation, then my view regarding the garden is extraordinarily selfish. In terms of the allegory and in keeping with my view, if I achieve personal enlightenment in my garden, I will lock myself in and refuse to share it with the world. In other words, I would refuse, having seen the light, to re-enter the cave for the sake of helping others. That is selfish. Yet it is easy. I am reconsidering that position because of the degree to which it is a cop-out, a complete refusal to accept responsibility for anything or anyone but me and mine. The issue is, I don't believe that the world can be greatly changed at the hands of one individual. But is that an excuse to escape, to refuse to bear the human suffering that Viktor Frankl describes as our eternal burden, our curse and our calling? I don't know. I know only that the road to Hell is short and wide, and the road to Heaven long and narrow.
         Stephen, in proclaiming his position and declaring his belief in the ability of the individual to alter the course of the human future, chose a terrifying, thankless path. He would cultivate his garden for himself, but ultimately for others. He would share it with the world, try to cast light upon darkness. Instead of reveling in the beauty of his creation, he would choose to re-enter the "real" world of ignorance, suffering and greed. A thankless choice, as many are ignorant and misguided, preferring to remain that way. Yet, it is sacrifice. It is the choice to bear suffering as a duty, out of a sense of responsibility to others and a genuine desire to change the suboptimal world order. His words did nothing to change my pessimistic worldview, and I still have little faith in any one man's ability to change anything, but there is now something inside me....a flicker of understanding, if you will. I have become conscious of the fact that, maybe, against all odds, despite the mountains he would have to move, despite the huge pile of shit he would have to bear on his shoulders, man should TRY. My grandmother always said: Hope is the final spark in the darkness. Her words echo and resonate with my highly uncharacteristic thoughts. Stephen, you have brought me outside of my usual realm of thought, and for that as well as your views and choices, you are worthy of respect as an individual and a classmate.