I
have been giving philosophy classes for almost 47 years and my experience never
prepared me to what happen to me on that day. My class was something special as
all the students must take it. It didn’t matter if you were studying law, arts
or business. It was important that every student understand the basics of
ethics and anthropology. It was also a good place for networking as it was a great
space for people from every faculty to interact with each other.
“So,
we are discussing the concept of soul, remember that this is not an idea with religious
roots but something that most of the greatest thinkers of our time had agreed on.
Yes, Mr. Peyton”
“You
say that most philosophers agreed on, but what about Nietzsche or Descartes.
You are saying that they were not some of the greatest minds of our time. I
also think that it doesn’t matter that all people believe in something, that
doesn’t mean it is truth.”
“Well
Mr. Peyton, that is why I told you most of them. We would see the views of them
later. Yes, Mr. Lock”
“I think
that Luke is right. He is one of the greatest thinkers in this classroom. So
please let us leave, I am suffering too much, please understand, I have
breakfast at chipotle”
The
class burst into laughs and I could only felt frustration. Each generation was
different, but the latest ones have been some of the worst that I have. I was
certain that this kind of disrespect was expected on a high school level, but
to hear this on a college was unthinkable. I knew how to manage people such as
Nate Lock. Buffoons like him always changed their behavior if a complaint was
raised with their coach.
But people
like Luke Peyton was on another level. His type was one of the worst. He had a very
arrogant attitude and confrontational behavior that just makes him unbearable.
The worst part was that I couldn´t do anything about him. He still was one of
the best students in my class and, as much as I wanted to fail him, I knew that
the ethics committee would be on my doorstep if I took that measure. I knew
that he tried to humiliate me with each of his participations. He just wanted
to show that he was better than me. Sadly, the only thing that I could do was to
not follow his games.
I went
to my office and started grading some papers. I started reading Justin’s essay.
I was very glad about his performance as the last couple of weeks he had evolved
from being Nate’s sidekick to be one of the students with the most profound philosophical
thoughts. I was reading his ideas when someone knocked my door. At that moment
I supposed that it was another undergrad, it was a girl of no more than 20
years. She was dressed in a gothic style, so I guessed that she was part of one
of the tribal subculture’s that have emerged on the last decades.
“Professor, can I have a brief talk with you”
“Sure, what do you need”
“Jiji, I have a question. What does it mean
to be young?”
“Well, it means that you still have so much to
learn and you still have the potential of achieving so much”
“So, you are still young Professor Edwards”
“Well, of course not. Next month I would have
82 years, that’s not the definition of young. But tell me young lady, I don´t
remember seeing you in my class maybe…”
She leaned over my desk. I could see that she had no brassiere as she
put his finger on my mouth. “I think that you don’t understand the young, let
me help you” she told me and moments latter I received a long kiss from her. I tried to push her away, but I didn’t find
the strength. I felt as all of my life energy was drained, and everything went
black.
I open my eyes and I found myself in a strange
room. I soon recognized the place as one of the student dorms. I start hearing
someone knocking the door. I stand up unaware that my knee and back pain was
completely gone. Nothing prepared me to what happened when I opened the door.
There it was my aging body, holding my old walking stick and with tears in his
face.
“I don’t understand, what is happening?” I
said as my body entered the room
“Don’t lie to me, you did this. I am certain
of it”
“I don’t get it, this is a very weird dream”
“You really don´t have an idea of what has
happened”
“No, why do you look like me?” My old body signaled
a mirror. I looked at it and saw the reflection of Luke Payton “Oh my god, oh
my god, this cannot be happening”.
“I know, this only happens only in stupid
scifi shows. We need to find a way to reverse it”.
“It
has to be that girl”
“Which girl?”
“She told me…”
“What”
“You know Luke, to be young means that you
have so much to learn and you have so much potential”.
“Mr. Edwards cut of the bullshit, we need to
find a way to return to our own bodies”.
“And why would I want that”.
“Because it is the right thing to do Mr. Edwards”.
“No son, as you just said cut of the
bullshit. I don’t feel pain, I don’t need Viagra, I am young and can do
everything again”.
“No, that’s crazy. You cannot do that to me,
that’s selfish Mr. Edwards”.
“Yes, I am selfish, what are you going to do
about that. You are now a crazy old man, you can’t do anything about this. So, go
away, I am the new Luke Peyton”.
Many of my newfriends saw my old body getting
out of my dorm, so the faculty have enough witnesses of the incident that I reportedand they were left with the only option of firing professor Edwards. It was truth that I have still so much to learn
about the new generations, gladly I can say that I have enough time to do
so.
Stuck as Santa 