Swimming at the Bottom of the Sea

A former student messaged me today with a verse from a poem by John Donne ("Paradox" for those of you who would like to peruse).  I am used to former students emailing or facebooking or skyping with questions about assignments or seeking suggestions for some facet of life; this student, however, had read the poem for pleasure and was simply looking for thoughts about its meaning.  To say my English teacher heart was smiling is an understatement.

Anywho, in the exchange between my thoughts and his response, I began to think of how often I wax philosophical with my own friends or colleagues.  I have a few friends who are film geeks like myself, and we will debate the hidden meanings of a historical biopic or the everyday connection to the latest Lifetime movie.  Many of my friends are voracious readers, which of course leads to discussions about what's "good" literature (as defined by the reader or the canon - which, frankly, needs to get off its high horse and join the rest of us commoners) as opposed to candy-reads.  It's a rockin' time when these two worlds collide and we argue what should or should not be in the cinematic interpretation of a book, often in the midst of the movie while the people sitting behind us want to throw popcorn all over us and tell us to zip it.

Aside from that, I have had many a dialogue with friends and students, both current and former, about other life-stuff, like what love really is, how race and socio-economic class impact social status and the definitions of success, both faith and anti-faith, and myriad other subjects that can be found somewhere along the Laurentian Abyss.  A personal favorite was this quote from a friend: "Did you ever stop to think that when you are looking at the stars, you are actually looking back in time?"

When I think about all of these wonderful, engaging, challenging, labyrinthine conversations, I don't see a particular pattern of my thoughts or, thankfully, the same staunch stance on specific topics.  On the contrary, I have changed quite radically in my perspectives.  To me, it's not about the beliefs, opinions, or ideas so much as the willingness to share them and to consider others' beliefs, opinions, and ideas in genuine discourse.  To me, if I am able to do that, I can see a whole new world, sometimes dark and enigmatic, sometimes vibrant with foreign life.  It is an opportunity to visit a different ecosystem, one that does not require me to take up residence if I so choose but will forever influence how I see my own.