A Bliss Anthology: They Call Me Professor Gutsy

*All accounts in this anthology are fictional

Trix

“The nurture versus nature debate has been around throughout history. The idea that a child is either born with a blank slate, and it is up to the parents to fill and provide information. Or that a child is born with innate abilities and understandings of the world, without the implications given by those around them.

This debate can be expressed through morality as well. Moral philosophers and psychologists have studied the way that human beings react to and understand situations on a moral level. Explicitly studying whether our moral reactions have purpose and reasoning, or if they are rash and emotional, based on what we believe to be a reality, rather than what we rationalize it to be.

So, I ask you, are our moral judgements based on our innate abilities and instincts, or were they added to our blank slate, learning solely from the environment that surrounded us? I want you to think about that and let me know our next class.

Have a great day.”

My first lecture as a moral philosophy professor at Concordia University was complete. I looked around at my students, the young souls that I would be enlightening on life, morals, ethics and the self. I could see the eagerness on some of their faces, and the absolute boredom on others. It did not stop me from taking my father’s place, nor did it stop me from holding onto his lucky pen while I spoke each word. The pen that he refused to refill, but kept it in his breast pocket for safekeeping; the pen he gave to me on my twenty-third birthday, when I earned my undergraduate degree; ‘you’re walking in my footsteps’, I could still hear his voice, as if he had never left…but that wasn’t the case.

“Professor Johnson?”

My trance was broken.

“Please, call me Trix.”

The young man smiled, he could not have been much younger than me, which made this job all the more uncomfortable, but all the more worth it at the same time. Who better to show young minds that they can be successful than to learn from a young mind that was… well somewhat.

“I’ve never had a professor that wore ripped jeans and a Star-Lord style jacket and was so full of character and brilliance. You are definitely not what we expected.”

“Well… you don’t get to the places you want by following the rules.”

He smiled and walked away.

Done. Day one was done. I was about to head back to my office when I heard a knock on the lecture hall door.

“Ms. Johnson,”

“Please, call me Trix.” Having to repeat those words was going to get tiresome…fast.

“Trix,” it was the professor that recommended me for the job, Andrew Parks, “the lot of us were going to head downtown for some drinks to celebrate an accomplished first day, want to join us?”

“Sure.”

I had not been for drinks in a long time. Not that it is surprising, but I did not have many friends. I was apparently ‘too argumentative’, in other words, I played devil’s advocate and that made people uncomfortable. I did not take it too personally, I was always raised to believe in myself, and be myself, those who matter will stay and those who do not will leave. It carried me through a lot of the harder years of my life, especially adolescence. I was the weird kid, with big glasses, ripped jeans and a brain full of ideas. I guess, at the time, I was considered a ‘hipster’, if I went to high school now, I would be considered popular, but I was not, I was anything but. Funny how times change; how people change; yet the world continues to go orbit around the sun, burning up in anger with the torment we put it through.

—

I placed my rose gold MacBook Air in my Lululemon travel bag, along with my water bottle, coffee mug and my iPhone. I slipped my glasses in their case and put my Kate Spades on. The benefits of September, the sun is still up, even passed dinner time. I met Andrew outside of my office and we headed downtown.

MCKIBBINS IRISH PUB

It was not that I was new to the city, I was just new to the bar scene. I came into the city on the train and left the city on the train. That was about it. There was no exploring for me.

“What can I get you?”

“I’ll have a glass of white wine and a Perrier please.”

The others ordered their drinks as I watched them, not with intentional creepiness, but with focus, trying to remember all their names. I assumed I would have to rely on Andrew and catch a name here or there.

—

The night was a bit boring.

I understand philosophy professors are not the most lively of the bunch, but that is not how I knew it. My father had such a bubbly personality, one that would make the whole room glow with joy, I tried to follow in his footsteps, but I could never get it. Maybe it had to do with DNA, DNA that we did not share. I listened intensely to the conversation, ironically waiting for the first person to leave, so I could leave second without being crowned the ‘party pooper’, even though this party was pooped on enough.

The man in the beige blazer, parted hair and with such exciting stories about what his cat ate for dinner last night stood up first.

“Alright guys, I have to get home to the husband.”

Everyone showed their salute, the perfect time for me to stand up.

“I should get going to” I smiled,

“Let me walk you out, I wanted to ask you about something.” Andrew stood up and walked me outside the pub.

He walked a little way with me,

“You know Andrew, you can go back in. I am good to catch the train.”

“I know. As I said, I wanted to ask you something,” he paused ever so slightly, then pushed me into the ally way.

“What are you doing?” Pushing him off me.

“I got you the job at the university, I can easily take it away. So, do what I say.”

My nerves were starting to burn, my anxiety building in my stomach. I was going to be sick. I wanted to be sick. I had never been in this situation before, what did he want from me? What was I supposed to do? Could he really take my job away? He only gave me a recommendation, he was not the head of HR, he was almost as new as I was.

I could feel the roughness of his jeans on my left arm as he used his knee to push me back.

‘You have guts. Use them.’ I could hear my father’s voice in my head.

“Get off me” I screamed, pushing Andrew off me and ran out of the ally.

“Andrew Parks, what in god’s name do you think you are doing?”

It was one of the professors from the pub, at the time I could not remember his name, but later Anthon and I became quite the professor duo.

I stepped beside him. Appearing bold and brave, but inside feeling insecure and betrayed.

“I… was.. just..”

“I… was… just…” I mocked.

Anthon grabbed Andrew by the shirt collar and hauled him over to the HR office. I followed and called the representative on Anthon’s phone. It was the longest two-kilometre walk of my life.

—

I became Professor Gutsy, and Andrew became unemployed and sued for harassment, the means for immediate dismissal.

He was an example of how moral decisions are rash and emotional. The question remains, was his behaviour pre-determined instincts, based on nature, or were they taught from a young age?