Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it’s just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you’ve told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And pray to God he hears you

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you’ve followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he’ll say he’s just not the same
And you’ll begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life
How to save a life

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life

- The Fray

today, i received my grade from my philosophy teacher for the semester. throughout this course, the teacher has shown no sign of affection or communication in letting me know that i have improved or that my increased efforts matter. today, i received a grade of a B-, which brought my once high GPA plummeting down to just above the dean’s list cutoff. that being said, and after re-reading her e-mail explaining her decision to give me that grade, i thought.

and that’s the difference between me now and the me at the beginning of the year. i thought instead of talking. i didn’t make the rash decision to lash out at her and tell her that her way of giving me a grade was unfair. i thought. and i thought back to this year and learned why i did deserve a higher grade, even if she didn’t give it to me.

from what i’ve learned about philosophy in my 100 level class last semester and my 200 level class this semester, people have opinions. like my teacher, everyone is entitled to givng people their own thought and opinion. but the difference between a philosophy and a judging comment is this: you feel and think about the other person before yourself. a philosophical outlook determines your way of looking at the world. however it soley focuses on the self, not the people surrounding the self. this definition was not written in a text; it is merely anopinioni have gained throughout these courses.

my argument is this: how dare you make such a bold statement on someone and the way they do something if you do not understand where they are coming from?

philosophy thrives upon the sole fact that everyone is, yes, entitled to an opinion. but an opinon only gets you so far. having people follow your opinion is what makes a simple outlook on life turn into a world-wide philosophy.

to my teacher, since i refuse to stoop to your level and act at such an immature age to pick out problems that are irrelevant to the assignment at hand, i write the following to myself: you cannot judge someone and tell them what to do if you do not understand where they come from. labels, as you once said, derive from people having a lack of knowledge on other people. and that is where you slipped up in class; you made a label out of yourself: the ignorant teacher. this can also be followed up several philosopher’s outlooks on life, but maybe the most important i’ve learned this year is Murray’s “the godless man outside the people of god.”

this is a man or woman who knows better things, such as religion or more positive attitudes towards life, simply exist but refuse to listen to them because his or her own opinion is more important than those surrounding him or her. to you, my fellow teacher, i say check mate.

don’t you dare accuse me of not understanding a text if oneessay does not show it. did you ever come to think that maybe your essay question didn’t allow me to fully prove myself worthy? or were you too blinded and jaded by the fact that your own “philosophy” was too grand and high and mighty for someone to oppose you? let me tell you something: if it’s something i’ve learned this year, it’s that hiding behind a screen and telling me i’m inferior does not phase me. it does not show me i’m weak. rather, it empowers me to show the world how great God has made me and how words, when used so terribly, are rendered useless. if it’s something i’ve learned this year, it is this: actions speak louder than words.

so there, you wanted an essay about how faith can be a lifestyle for mankind? there it is. i don’t have to use a fucking green booklet and pencil in a classroom to prove to you that i understood your course. if it’s something you actually did teach me this year, it’s that choosing your own outlook over everyone else’s only makes you weak. the words of the people combined creates God’s word. and if i remember correctly, on the first day of class you said one of the underlying themes was eros and thantos, which translates from Greek to English saying life and death along with the message of the divine. so i believe i just covered that requirement as well. i believe in myself and i believe i shouldn’t have to prove to someone in a harsh and direct manner that i matter. i thought as a certified teacher that you would understand.

so just for future reference, you wrote at the end of your e-mail saying that you wish i acquired a higher level of writing in philosophical means. well, you ignorant woman, here it is.

just because you say something, doesn’t mean it’s true. and just because you generalize, doesn’t make it right. you may be a philosophy teacher, but you must remember i’m entitled to my own philosophy as well…correct?

here’s mine: those who don’t feel, don’t understand. and those who don’t understand, don’t have the right to say something to someone that is illogically sound. if you do not understand a person, dont even try and tell them they’re something they’re not. because then, as you quoted in your notes, “you’re being far too single-minded.”

…i’ll take my A now you wretched, inconsiderate bitch.