1+1=2 (most of the time)

May 15, 2020 / By / 126 Comments / Uncategorized / , , ,

This is an essay I wrote for an alumni fundraise for my high school.

Quanzhou, Fujian, China: 2/20/2020

I never forget my good fortune to be a student of LSRHS. I’m writing to you now from China, with just a few days more to go in my Corona-virus quarantine. Many of my peers will agree that the best way to neutralize a Corona is with a freshly cut lime, and I assure you all; I have enough limes to last the entire winter! Jokes aside, in my short 31 years I can safely say I’ve experienced more than most do, and I’m honored and excited to share with you my single most memorable experience from four years as a student at LS. First allow me to briefly finish my autobiography. I’m currently teaching ESL to middle school students in China, and I’ve been teaching ESL for the past 6 years all over Asia. I graduated from UVM with a B.A. in Psychology, and was living in Burlington, VT until destiny brought me to Asia, starting in rural Thailand.

By the time I entered 11th grade in high school, I was more enlightened than most of my peers, but also less mature emotionally and psychologically, as many boys are. I knew then, just as I know now, just as I knew when I was in kindergarten; I am a philosopher. I can sit quietly and ponder the nature of reality all day. Naturally, when I saw that LS offered a philosophy class, I couldn’t hold in my excitement. All of my other classes paled in comparison. Not only was I able to study my favorite subject for the first time in a classroom, but I could not have gotten a better teacher. Mr. Phillip James immediately impressed me. The first time I heard his booming voice, upright confidence and world-class competence, I drew a parallel to Dr. MLK Jr.

We showed up to class one day, and Mr. James told us he’d like to do something a little different. He said today we can just sit back and listen, while he demonstrates a set of logical proofs showing that 1+1 does not have to equal 2. There were no objections, so he began the demonstration. As you’d expect, such a proof is extremely advanced, and it required the entire duration of one class period. At the end of this marvel, I remember looking around at the faces of all the other students. Some were in shock, some were bewildered, some were ready for lunch. As for me, I was amazed, convinced, and wanted more.

More is of course exactly what I got. Our desires are always fulfilled, when they are strong enough. I signed up for philosophy classes every chance I had in college, and still study in my spare time. Eventually my studies brought me to the Vedas of ancient India, that have now become my religion as well. I’ve never liked organized religion, but when you meet God Himself, much will change whether you like it or not!

With knowledge comes power, and with power comes responsibility. If you really accept the fact that 1+1 does not have to equal 2, this actually changes nothing in the end. Does it mean that there are no rules and no truth? That truth is a castle made of sand? That philosophy is nothing more than a word juggling contest? All of these questions and implications are valid and correct, simultaneously. Ultimately, it is up to us the kind of life we want to live. I urge you with all my heart and soul to live the life of virtue; in harmony with everything and everyone around you. Those who have chosen “the Dark Side” will be more persuasive and greater in number, by definition. We can even be in harmony with them also, knowing that they are pure on the inside, and simply lost on the outside. The highest path is the most difficult one, so you can expect unimaginable difficulty. For more on truth, transcendence, and the Way of the Light, please visit your friendly neighborhood saint. If you have trouble finding one, you can visit my website and contact me personally; www.about.me/campanella.

All the best LS!

Yours Truly in Service,

Alexander Campanella

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