Background Information
There was such a happenstance in a prestigious school in 2001 in the US. Here is the story.
In a typical hot summer day, a college senior was walking down his way for lunch. His pace was fast, hoping to dry the tears his eyes could barely hold. He was distraught with indescribable shame and sense of helplessness. It seemed that epiphany had no mercy to let him tackle what had just happened.
Minutes ago he was visiting his professor with his projects partners for some enquiries. They had good Q & A session and was having fun together. For some reasons his partners had to go first. So he was left with the professor. Inevitably they went on about grading for the course, of which was not very clear from the very beginning.
"Believe me you will be fine. As long as you attend classes, do the homework, and study, getting a good grade should not be a problem." The professor said.
"All I want is to pass and go home." The senior replied.
The professor was astonished. His hands stopped from busying at cleaning his glasses and the sweat on his face. Head down and looking sideway, he gradually stood up.
"All students here are working very hard to learn and to get good grades. And you only want to pass?" He stared right at the senior.
Deeply agitated, he kept going, "This is a very good school and it could not accept student like you."
"Don't even think about sneaking to pass. I will fail you! I will!" His head was so wobbling that even his already wet hair fell to stick to his forehead.
"What do you know? My mom is dying from cancer, and all I want is to finish up my last semester and see her." The senior wanted to say, but at the end he swallowed back the words.
He just swiftly left the room with an irate man.
Did the senior or the professor do anything wrong? You came across situations where you were misunderstood and did not want to explan, or felt invain to do so?
In a typical hot summer day, a college senior was walking down his way for lunch. His pace was fast, hoping to dry the tears his eyes could barely hold. He was distraught with indescribable shame and sense of helplessness. It seemed that epiphany had no mercy to let him tackle what had just happened.
Minutes ago he was visiting his professor with his projects partners for some enquiries. They had good Q & A session and was having fun together. For some reasons his partners had to go first. So he was left with the professor. Inevitably they went on about grading for the course, of which was not very clear from the very beginning.
"Believe me you will be fine. As long as you attend classes, do the homework, and study, getting a good grade should not be a problem." The professor said.
"All I want is to pass and go home." The senior replied.
The professor was astonished. His hands stopped from busying at cleaning his glasses and the sweat on his face. Head down and looking sideway, he gradually stood up.
"All students here are working very hard to learn and to get good grades. And you only want to pass?" He stared right at the senior.
Deeply agitated, he kept going, "This is a very good school and it could not accept student like you."
"Don't even think about sneaking to pass. I will fail you! I will!" His head was so wobbling that even his already wet hair fell to stick to his forehead.
"What do you know? My mom is dying from cancer, and all I want is to finish up my last semester and see her." The senior wanted to say, but at the end he swallowed back the words.
He just swiftly left the room with an irate man.
Did the senior or the professor do anything wrong? You came across situations where you were misunderstood and did not want to explan, or felt invain to do so?
posted by Hootie at
10:02 PM
2 Comments:
it seems that to the professor, as well as many others, to win a worldly honour is far more important to care for a soul in need. There are certainly times when one can do ok in trying to win the world's trophy as well as trying to love one's neighbor. But the genuine test will come when one has to choose either-or, and not both. Our spiritual destiny will be determined by the choice we all have to make. We have been told: "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." May the Lord who choose to bear the crown of thorn wipe away the tears of those who choose rightly.
By
Alex Leung, at 8:09 AM
The beauty of life is the apparent choice we possess. Whether the decision is "right" or "wrong," conscious or unconscious, forced or willing, the consequence is governed by the market---interactions amongs the environment and the living things. Some readily realize the market pattern and surf on the waves. They become marketable, or wanted, or valuable. Other struggle to learn the pattern. Still some spend a lifetime to figure out what is going on. Without the belief that there is some kind of higher justice, it is hard for anyone not to play their best to fit in the market.
By
Hootie, at 12:42 AM
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