Our Final Blog - Moustafa Shamdeen Section 12

 So, I sat in my chair, just finishing two books that I was required to read in my class, and thankfully I enjoyed, at least relatively. And while I was there, pondering and talking to myself and wondering, building connections in the old chrome dome, but time still moved on and I look outside my window, and it's become nighttime. I've been trying to get my sleep schedule on track, so I decide, that’s enough thinking for today, and head to bed. 

As I open my eyes, I’m suspended in clouds, with a cloud staircase leading down and curving right in front of me, and so I take it down and as I take my final step on the sandy ground, I eventually I end up at a table on the beach, the staircase that led me vanished into thin air. Sitting at that table I see 3 individuals, all of which I feel like I've seen before, but also, I can’t quite put my finger on it. For some reason or another I end up sitting down with those individuals, on my left, a woman by the name of Susan Neiman introduces herself to me. In front of me, an elderly man named Herbert Fingarette, and to the northwest of where I’m sitting, is a younger man named John Kaag. Why I know their names, I'm not too keen, but as soon as I take a seat, a magical piece of paper appears right in the middle of the table. On it, lies three questions "What does it mean to grow up? Why should we?" and "What makes life worth living?" Thus, the conversations begin.

John Kaag: We already know each other's names, but I figured I'd still introduce myself. I'm John Kaag, I write books.

Susan Nieman: Hello, my name is Susan Neiman, I'm an author, who funnily enough, wrote a book about the topics on the piece of paper before us.

Herbert Fingarette: I'm Herbert, I’m 97, and I've lived a long life, so I feel like I might have enough experience to chime into this conversation. 

Moustafa Shamdeen: Howdy, I’m Moustafa Shamdeen, I’m just a normal college student, nothing too special about me, been in one of these weird situations before not too long ago, but let's see where this one goes.

Susan: I guess I'll start, since this is literally what I wrote about. What does it mean to grow up and why should we? Well for starters "being grown-up is widely considered to be a matter of renouncing your hopes and dreams, accepting the limits of the reality you are given, and resigning yourself to a life that will be less adventurous.... than...when you began it" (WGU 1). And I mean that sounds so harsh and so negative but growing up is not just a matter of being depressed and living your life to a beat of a drum, it's not just going to school and getting a job and dying even if it sounds like that. "Growing up is more a matter of courage than knowledge: all the information in the world is not substitute for the guts to use your own judgement. And judgement can be leaned-... (WGU 16) Growing up isn't that boring, lifeless, thing that we all have been led to imagine. For some reason, adults always tell children, and then those children tell their children, to cherish the time they have now, because it just gets worse in the future, but growing up is something great. Something important, we should celebrate being able to grow up, and view the world around us more clearly.  I feel like I've rambled on long enough so let me give you all a chance to speak.

Herbert Fingarette: I have lived a long life and for that I am eternally grateful, but still, I wish I had more. What does it mean to grow up? The matter of the fact is that I don't know. I've presumably lived longer than everyone else here, or else you guys just look marvelous for your age, but still, I don't know. I wrote books on everything from Self-Deception to Chinese Philosophy to Death, and still, I don't know. If growing up is like what Susan said, it being a matter of courage, then by the gods, I have regressed in age. I fear my death, I feared my wife's death before she passed, but still it came. I don't think growing up is something to be scared of forever, but for me, I live every day, thinking that this is my last. And I apologize but I'm going to skip ahead to answer, what makes life worth living, the truth of the matter is I don't know. It is an inexplicable truth, but even though I have lost it all, and us human beings can be quite fickle creatures at times, I still want to be here for it. 

Moustafa Shamdeen: I think that's in a sense beautiful. I'm much too young, the polar opposite of Herbert in fact, probably the youngest one here, but what I think it means to grow up is to be able to bear the responsibility. I think that even as you grow up, you still can have fun, I mean there are bars, and concerts, and events, and museums, zoos, parks, etc. but I think you are meant to hold your share of the responsibilities now. You can't put your enjoyment over your children's needs, or the bills you have to pay, or the job you have, or the mistakes you make. You're not a child, in the at least in the sense of the weight you hold in the world. There's that corny line with great power comes great responsibility, but even if you don’t want that power, aging naturally gives you that power, and as such you are expected to, for lack of a better term, grow up. And while I'm speaking, what makes life worth living? Everything. The trees, the animals, the warm sun rays on your skin, the chill you get, the flu, the cold, a broken toe, all of those thing merge into what we call life. and all of those things, are a part of what makes it so great. You can’t appreciate your foot, until it stops working as it is intended, you can't appreciate your health until you get a cold, you can't appreciate the cold or the warmth of the world
without experiencing it first-hand. Life is worth living because of the culmination of these things.

John Kaag: I kind of agree with Susan that growing up is a way to learn and discover more about yourself. In my book, "Sick Souls, Healthy Mind," the whole point of the book is to find the purpose of living for those who suffer from mental illnesses. Every day I remember that there is always more time left, which is on one hand a problematic mentality, but on the other, if done correctly, can lead you to more happiness and growth. I mean for me; William James made my life worth living. "His (William James) philosophy saved my life. Or more accurately, it encouraged me not to be afraid of life....'Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.'" (SSHM 12). In fact, James' philosophy explicitly states that life isn't great, in fact "If one looks carefully, suffering is not the exception but the rule"(SSHM 43). “But just because it isn't the best right now, doesn't mean it will always be that way. Similar to what Moustafa said, you can't appreciate what you have until its gone. Stuff will make us sad and depressed but still "Any state of affairs, or more accurately, state of mind, is temporary" (SSHM 104). 

Susan Nieman: Well, I guess I just have to answer that last question and that’s it. What makes life worth living? I'll answer that with another question, think about "Would I live this life over?"(WGU 228) and either way you answer this question, it answers the question at hand. If you say yes, then whatever you're doing right now makes life worth living, but if you answer no, then take a look at yourself and begin to grow up and live a life that's worth repeating. 

And as soon as Susan answered her final question, the paper on the table vanished, like a puff of smoke, and with that, we all slowly vanish with just enough time to say our goodbyes. Just like that, I wake up, and slowly forget the conversations I had and as the days pass by.