An old woman Helena Piraska kneels in a garden, meticulously working the various flowers of a grand garden. She carefully holds a beautiful Acacia Rose flower in one hand, and carefully prunes the petals around it; with the same loving care she pulls out a spray bottle and gently sprays the flower, breathing life into life. At that moment George Boswell comes out of the large estate Helena is working at and walks to his car; grumbling to himself.
George Boswell: Helena! You’re still here, there’s no need; the garden looks fine.
Helena Piraska: Yes sir, I am almost done here.
George walks over to his car and before getting in turns to the old woman.
GB: Helena, may I ask you a question?
HP: What is it?
GB: How are you always so happy, honestly, I do not pay you that well.
HP: You pay me for the job I do, and I thank you for that.
GB: How can you be so happy from the little I give you?
HP: You do not give me anything, I earn it, it is not a gift, but I procure it for my services: I earn it.
GB: Ok. Ok. You earn it, true enough. How can you be so happy to live off of so much?
HP: I get what I need from you.
GB: Why do you keep evading my question?
HP: Honestly, sir, I don’t think you would understand.
GB: I think now I want to be more open to listening, things aren’t going to great.
HP: What has happened?
GB: I just lost an enormous deal that would have put me on the map; I mean really put me above the rest of those hacks. I could have been one of the top 50 richest men in America. But not anymore, who knows what will happen now.
HP: Are you going to lose all of your money?
GB: Good god no! I’ll be fine. I have enough to last the rest of my life in luxury. It just doesn’t seem to be enough. I break down corporations and sell them off piecemeal; but sometimes I feel as if I’m doing it unscrupulously, and I don’t like how I earn my money anymore. Still, I know I want money, I want to have money and I never seemed good at producing anything, only destruction. I feel lost if I can’t be up there with the big boys. So, I guess I’m just curious how someone can live off of the amount that I give them? And, at the same time seem so happy!
HP: it’s easy really. I just don’t have the same values as you do Mr. Boswell.
GB: What do you mean; values? What do you value?
HP: Well, I would prefer working on my relationship with my husband rather than on a huge multi-million dollar deal. That type of value.
GB: Oh, so you enjoy the simple pleasures.
HP: If you wish to call them simple.
GB: What would you call them?
HP: Just about as extravagant as your values sir. I follow a certain philosophy, Epicureanism, or rational hedonism as some might call it.
GB: Now you’re speaking more my language. If you are such a hedonist how can you be content working in a garden for nickels? I’m a hedonist.
HP: Maybe, but are you living rationally is the real question?
GB: I enjoy pleasures, and I understand that they are the first good and that they are natural to us. This is what Epicurus said.
HP: Yes he did, but I think you should finish his statement. “For this very reason we do not choose every pleasure, but sometimes we pass over many pleasures, when greater discomfort accrues to us as the result of them: and similarly we think many pains better than pleasures, since a greater pleasure comes to us when we have endured pains for a long time. Every pleasure then because of its natural kinship to us is good, yet not every pleasure is to be chosen: even as every pain also is an evil, yet not all are always of a nature to be avoided. Yet by a scale of comparison and by the consideration of advantages and disadvantages we must form our judgment on all these matters…”
GB: What does that mean?
HP: Be rational.
GB: ugh, I must have skipped that class-
HP: What?
GB: Nothing! Can you explain that a bit for me please?
HP: Sure, it means that you must rationally choose what pleasures are best suited for you. Not all pleasure is the best, and you also much choose the pains which you need to survive and which are best suited to endure; not all pains are worth having. For example, you are in good shape; would you advocate eating 3 cartons of chocolate ice cream if you wanted to stay in good shape?
GB: Of course not. That would make me sick.
HP: That is a rational choice, and you should avoid those types of extremes. There are certain pains you must endure, for example; the pain it takes when you are working out in order to stay in shape. You, however, would not want to lift weights all day every day, or to try and lift 600 lbs when you know you are only capable of 250.
GB: yes, true.
HP: Well this is what it means to be a true Epicurean. I choose the values which are best suited to enhance my life, which I think are quite universal in many manners.
GB: Such as your husband?
HP: Exactly, I never eat alone. Tonight we are having friends over, I am working hard now so I may get done with work and go to the grocery store to buy a nice bottle of Pinot Noir, this I will gladly share with those who truly understand me in this world; people who do not need to be fooled by fancy clothes or nice cars, but who truly understand who I am and what I mean in this world. That is a value that you cannot buy Mr. Boswell.
GB: I can see the value in that. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had good company over. I think this conversation is the best I’ve had for quite a while. You know, when I started in college I was a bright eyed wannabe philosopher. Now I realize the practical.
HP: Have you received just compensation?
GB: No, I suppose I haven’t. Honestly, I don’t ever feel very happy. There was one time I felt happy.
HP: When was that sir?
GB: My freshman year, I met a grad student who was emphasizing in Aristotle. He told me a little bit about the great organizer, but there was one thing I really wanted to understand more. He showed me the theory of Aristotle’s subsequent metaphysics on the immovable movers. I believed they were supposed to be the giants of industry in today’s terms, but now I realize they are that and much more. I would really like to speak to that grad student again. I think his name was Andrew Ryan. I only met him the one time, but based off of that encounter he showed me what he believed were Aristotle’s intention. I suppose I really didn’t study it enough and took upon myself the wrong premises. All I can remember now is the mere fact that Aristotle could come up with and organize into theory and practice so much that this grad student thousands of years later was going to major in him. I knew there was no way anyone would ever major in me, I couldn’t even understand his very succinct explanation of the immovable mover. How was I to change the ideas of the world? I knew I would never be great enough to achieve such things, but I could go down a line my father did. He was a businessman, so I felt I could be one too.
HP: Why don’t you change your path and continue where you were?
GB: Bah, it’s too late now Helena. I’m a businessman, or I should say I destroy businessmen…
HP: I think, before I go, I will let you in on one of the major acquisitions Epicureans teach, which is thought.
GB: Yes, I’d like to hear about that.
HP: Epicurus was determined to ensure he and his friends would analyze all things involved in their lives; whether concerning death, money, illness etc. He believed firmly that upon rational thought a person would come to the proper conclusions about money. It isn’t bad to have money, it is just important to also have friends in order to experience life with. You can’t experience life with just your money Mr. Boswell.
GB: I know.
HP: Well I hope you will think on this: “The wealth demanded by nature is both limited and easily procured; that demanded by idle imaginings stretches on to infinity.”
GB: I don’t understand.
HP: It will take some thought, Mr. Boswell.
GB: Ok. I will think about what you said and I’ll be back! (To himself) To think, I have my own philosopher in my backyard.
GB (CONT): Oh by the way, take this; I want you to buy a nice bottle of Pinot Noir for you and your friends on me.
HP: I do not accept alms.
GB: It is not alms Helena. It is payment for my first philosophy lesson.
No comments:
Post a Comment