Life is a Journey: Live it (Part 117)

The other autobiography
The heated debate matched the fire's heat. We had all eaten our sausages and toasted bread, and left the popcorn aside for later, while the marshmallow packages were opened, ready to be put into the fire. In all details, the students gathered discussed their prospects, knowing their generation would not see happiness in their time on earth, rather more problems than chances, which their offspring would continue to inherit.

I interrupted the debate and contributed my observations from years left behind with wisdom and effects on my thinking and said: “Tobias...yes, it is true when every now and than statistics hit societies claiming by figures children of well educated families even of academics are most likely to become academics or well educated persons themselves while less fortunate children have less fortune in life and are harder to find among academics. If these figures reflect life, then who comes from below, makes it to the top, and becomes a millionaire or a great scientist? That would be impossible if you believe these naked figures and do not question them along life`s matters.“

„Sounds very complicated,“ commented Charles Darwin Jr, smiling across his face. He put two marshmallows on a carefully prepared long stick, held it into the fire, waiting for my reply and the ready sweets.

„Life and achievements therein are an issue of character. Character is in us and can be developed over time by our own independent will if we want it. It is the basis for any success in life,“ was my intro into an exciting discussion I had wanted for a long time to lead.

Susanne Fröhlich looked at Hans Wilder before looking at me and asked, „I don´t really understand. Can you explain yourself in simpler terms?“

„Well then, “I started accepting the roasted marshmallows from Charles Darwin Jr., still very hot but so tasty. He put another set of pink marshmallows on his stick to get roasted in the fire. „Once I had a student in my class. During our first session, he introduced himself to the class, and I was all over happy to have him among my new students. At that moment, I was convinced the new school term would be one of the best, thanks to him. To lecture on Political Sciences and History as both subjects are very abstract and Political Sciences is very much connected to a variety of emotions and conflicting beliefs, not easy at all. The qualities of an entertainer certainly help.“ They all had a good laugh. „As it may be...this young man was during the following six weeks always very active answering my questions and making very profound comments even against my words...but very interesting after all...while the time came....“ I kept my mouth shut and looked around. I pretended to have forgotten what I had wanted to share with them. They looked at each other, puzzled about what was going on.

Susanne Fröhlich took heart and asked: „And...What happened?“

„After six weeks of great, controversial conversations, he never showed up again,“ was my simple answer. „Not in my classes, nor attending any of my college courses. We vansihed.“

„Oh, ...but why?“ asked Susanne Fröhlich, rejecting the marshmallow offer from Charles Darwin Jr.

„I cannot tell,“ was my simple response. I paused for a few moments before another person hit my memory. „Marie...when she introduced herself to the class, a twenty-seven-year-old married woman with roots in Switzerland, I thought she would not make it. During her first presentation before her peers, she was shaking all over. After ten minutes, due to exhaustion, she had to sit down. Fast forward two years, when sitting for her graduation qualification examination and her oral examination, she was the best of all the students. During her two years with us, she gained momentum and from presentation to presentation she had more confidence...no nervousness anymore. In the end, she went to study Political Sciences at Hamburg University, in love with international relations.“

„This reminds me,“ said Susanne Fröhlich, laughing and smiling, “of the if-game you mentioned some weeks ago about your sister Heidi Jürgensen. If she would have shown interest in schooling, worked hard, would have be willing to overcome problems on the long run not looking for solutions by cutting short the path, persued her dream of a fashion shop and done what was needed to do to achieve this wish and when cominh up with the idea to study finally having persued that idea as well...by now she would have been a great academic and or possibly millionaire. But she cut her progress short, not because it was not possible....“

„Because of the decisions she took in life. No one decided for her. She decided for herself, “Was it important for me to stress out.

„So, she cannot blame anyone for it...that is what you try to teach us?“ asked Susanne Fröhlich, touching Hans Wilder on his back.

„Again and again...that is what I teach, and life has taught me to see and observe. When others say in societies the rich must pay more taxes and give back to society...the critics must always reflect to their lives and asked themselves where and when have their failed themselves...as that is what it is basically...not failed in society...not failed against others but failed against themselöves, their destiny, the goals God had set before them...but want to divert the responsibility for themselves onto others and blame others for their own failure.“

„Life is very complicated,“ said Tobis Wittmann, who had kept quiet for a very long time.

I came out to say slowly:“ Life is complex...but not complicated. When you live your life as invested in you with might and all necessary consequences it brings with it...life is simple. It is you that is you, not your parents or friends; you are. You are you and you alone. Life is what you are. Life is who you are. That is the bottom line. The rest is life unfolding. Be truthful to yourself and not truthful to others unless the truthfulness to them is part of the truthfulness to yourself.“

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