E. Wayne Jones/ Section #4

May 4, 2021

A Meeting of Minds: My Conversation with two Philosophers

It was early one Saturday morning in a small Tennessee town and my wife needed some Apricot Juice to make her famous Lemon Cake. Since she needed Apricot Juice, I needed to get up early and go to Wal-Mart—15 miles away in next town. I hopped in my old truck and decided to take the back way through South Mills Road down by Crawler’s Creek and get in and out as quick as possible, that was the plan. Upon arrival to Wal-Mart I noticed the usual crowd of people entering the store in what I called Pajamas. “When are people going to grow up?”  I said out loud and I reached for the door nob to get out of my truck. That’s when I heard a squeaky voiced woman with a bit a Southern twang ask, “Why grow up?(2).” Nearly dropping my Covid 19 mask , I noticed a tan-skinned woman with curly black hair peering into the passenger window. Taking off her dark framed glasses, she said, “I’m Susan; you’ve been reading my book.”

Thinking I had forgotten to take my blood pressure medicine. “Have I lost my mind?” I asked. 

“Oh no, I am quite real,” she replied, “do you think of growing up as a way of renouncing your hopes and dreams? (1).“Not really—I just see it as a way of claiming the responsibility, accountability that all adults must face. You know—like in the Bible—“When I became a man, I put away childish things…” (1 Corinthians 13:11). 

“That’s a little ambiguous; I mean just what are childish things? “Do you agree that it takes courage to think for yourself?” (11) Do you think that quoting the Bible is thinking for yourself? 

“It took thought for me to recall that verse if that’s what you mean. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get my wife some apricot juice; she’s making a lemon cake. And I just love lemon cake.” 

“Sir, you never answered my question.”

“Mam it’s not about questions; it’s about faith--a Christian concept. I know you do not think like Christians think, so I think I need to go into the store.” 

“But sir, “Is travel necessary when growing up?” (13-16)

“I don’t know mam. I just need to travel into the store.”

“That’s as far as you will go in life, if you do not have the courage to think for yourself (11).

“How do you know that is courageous? How do you know I’m not crazy, eh?”

“Sir this is a special day, and I have come all the way from my home in Berlin to talk to you. As you know, “Distracting older people from objects of desire …[like Apricot juice]…is slightly more complicated, but what ever difficulty there may be is compensated for by the fact that the things that can be used to distract us are nearly limitless” (9).

It was in that instant, that she snapped her fingers and a man appeared. 

“Hello, Ernest, I’m John Kaag. You’ve been reading my work as well.” Before I could figure out if I were in a crazy dream, he continued.  Ernest, Do you, “…realize how soon [you] will become [a] mere walking bundle of habits? (76) I mean buying Apricot Juice on a Saturday morning? Really? You could be doing anything and you choose this.

“Do you wish you had a Samoan childhood?” (WGU 27), chimed in Susan.

“Actually, I was quite fine with my childhood in Tennessee” minus a few uncomfortable times, I returned.

“I’ve got this, Susan,” said John.  “Listen, why don’t you “practice yoga?” (91).

“Well, I’ve got a bad knee…” I started.

“Yoga can help you manage your habits effectively” (76). 

I started to shake and he continued. “[You see] nervous systems, like our own, are not hardwired from the start (what fun would that be?) …” (76)  Then in a manner straight from the mind of Willie Wonka he spun away in a whirlwind. As I stood there in amazement, I heard Susan say, “Here Ernest is your apricot juice. I must go now.”   However, you should seriously take good look at  your life and decide when you were the

happiest and just like that, she was gone.

Perhaps she is right. Maybe everyone should take inventory and consider; “what part of my life has been the happiest?” I think the happiest part of my life is right now. I have had a very good life experience, and that includes the good and the bad. I look forward to living my life to the best of my ability as a Christian the rest of my days on this earth. I will continue to learn all I can about life and be thankful for each day everyday. I believe everyone should be thankful for each day because it is something one cannot create himself. Another day of living and learning is a special gift that can come only, in my opinion, from God. The one whom I believe is the supreme being of the universe, and the one who created absolutely everything that exist.

I know there are others who do not share my world view. I consider that as part of my learning experience. I welcome the opportunity to learn more about them, and I hope they are just as eager to learn more about my world view. I believe that the synergy that would be created would serve as a catalyst to opening the minds from all points of views. When the minds are truly open without prejudice, the truth will come through.