Traveling long distances was exhausting. The roads seemed to go on and on\u2014there was no end in sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 4×4 Rover was quite a sight to behold. But covered in dirt from the dusty roads, it had long since deserved a wash. After all, it had a life of its own. Its sole purpose was to serve its driver, stay in working order, and keep him happy. It hadn\u2019t been serviced in a long time. Still, it held on, running at full capacity regardless of the road conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manufactured five years ago, it had won the award for best SUV design of the year in the U.S. that year. It was overjoyed by this; it was in high spirits. His driver had dated many women and had taken almost all of them out in the SUV. Rover was very upset by this and couldn\u2019t help but feel jealous of his driver. But after all, he was devoted to service; his driver\u2019s happiness should have made him happy too. But emotions don\u2019t listen to duty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it rained, the wipers worked, and he cruised down the road at full speed without skidding; his tires were also top-quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then the driver let out a deep sigh. He was gray-haired, in his early 60s, handsome, with a white beard, and well-groomed. He was a native of Virginia. No one could beat him at choosing nice clothes. He knew the saying \u201cClothes make the man\u201d well and used his style to impress women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unable to make a go of any profession, he had eventually started gambling on cockfights. Unfortunately, the roosters he bet on were defeated one after another, and he had run out of his last savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As he was driving down the road, a charming woman hitchhiking caught his eye. He gave her a ride in his Rover. She was in her late twenties\u2014a slender, approachable young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her attractive and expressive face hadn\u2019t escaped his notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere are you headed?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo Pennsylvania State College.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m heading that way, too. What are you doing there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m a history professor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWow, do professors ever hitchhike?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I\u2019m not your typical professor. I love adventure and travel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay, okay, I get it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-I\u2019m a traveler wandering the roads, trying to find myself along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Sweetheart, what exactly are you looking for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-If I knew what I was looking for, I\u2019d have found it by now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Well then, you\u2019ve got your work cut out for you, my friend. Come be my guest at the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Sure, why not? The roads are waiting for me. Maybe what I\u2019m looking for is at the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They were passing through the heart of Philadelphia. Everywhere was lush with green trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGreen, green, so green\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
State-of-the-art villas stretched out on both sides, basking in the greenery to their heart\u2019s content. The air was very fresh. Beautiful, large pools peered out charmingly from the gardens, as if they were about to shout, \u201cCome swim here!\u201d The roads were wide. There wasn\u2019t much traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then they took the bypass roads, heading toward Penn State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-It got dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Yes, we arrived right on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-The campus is very close by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Oh, that\u2019s great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Come on over\u2014I\u2019ll put you up. Stay for a few days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-I don\u2019t know! I don\u2019t want to be a burden to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-You won\u2019t be. I\u2019m teaching two courses this semester: History of American Literature and History of Ancient Philosophy. Those are my areas of expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-That\u2019s very interesting. We\u2019ll have to chat sometime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Let me show you to the guest room. I\u2019ll take care of you like the apple of my eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-I\u2019m going to go to my room and rest. I\u2019m so tired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Good night. I have an early class tomorrow morning. You can use the kitchen for breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was very tired. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He woke up ten hours later. He figured the woman must have gone to class. There was breakfast in the kitchen. He ate his fill. He felt the warmth of the sun streaming in through the house\u2019s large window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He wanted to go outside, but he didn\u2019t have a key to the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cell phones hadn\u2019t been invented yet back then. If you don\u2019t have a cell phone, you don\u2019t have any worries. The artificial lives we lead under the yoke of social media\u2014people you\u2019re constantly talking to on the phone even when you could meet face-to-face. Not having a cell phone is a great freedom. You can be alone with yourself; life stops being a stage for performance and show. There\u2019s plenty of time left for reading, contemplation, and wandering alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll walk around campus a bit and then head home,\u201d he thought. With that resolve, he closed the door and began walking toward campus. Ten minutes later, he reached campus. Everything was lush and green. Squirrels were scampering about. Yellow, green, and red leaves were swirling in the wind. The weather was neither too hot nor too cold. \u201cKnocking on heaven\u2019s door?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He saw all kinds of old, spacious buildings. Students with backpacks were walking across campus, entering the buildings as if they had no time to spare, as if nothing existed but classes and books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He remembered his own college years. He had barely graduated from high school in Virginia. He had never even considered college; he\u2019d just hung out in the neighborhood. He\u2019d charmed every girl in the neighborhood, without even distinguishing one from the other. After all, he was handsome and friendly, despite his aimless ways. Isn\u2019t that strange? A quote by Milan Kundera kept running through his mind: \u201cIt\u2019s not how many women you\u2019ve been with that matters, but how many you could have been with.\u201d Isn\u2019t there a saying in Turkish too: \u201cBachelorhood is a kingdom\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he spotted a massive library. He went inside. There were so many books; every table was completely full. \u201cWhat hardworking students,\u201d he thought. \u201cThey\u2019re nothing like me\u2014I barely even graduated from high school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An hour had passed. He had trouble finding his way home. Still, after wandering around, he found his way back. Oh, the female historian was home. He hadn\u2019t expected this at all; he\u2019d prepared himself to wait anxiously at the door. He rang the doorbell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Come in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-You\u2019re home\u2014is the class over?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-It was a 45-minute class. This week\u2019s topic is Socrates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-So, what happened to Socrates?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-He was one of the first philosophers to go down in history. He would often talk to passersby on the street and help them understand themselves through Socratic questioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Does he have any books? -Socrates never wrote anything. His student Aristotle put his ideas and experiences into writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-What\u2019s your favorite quote?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– \u201cHappiness is a choice.\u201d Indeed, once we choose this, we can stop getting caught up in life\u2019s dramas and live our lives happily and virtuously. Today I had my students write an essay about this quote. This isn\u2019t a memorization exercise. I want them to think deeply about these topics as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-It sounds like a fun class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-I make sure they learn the material in class. Of course, I also encourage them to do their own research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-We\u2019ll get along well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-You can stay here as long as you like.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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