Bastards and Scapegoats (Twisted Legacy Duet #1) - CoraLee June Page 0,54
and obedience. It felt nice to be recognized by this woman.
I cleared my throat before continuing. “You have to empty your mind before you can let anything else in. Lao Tzu is talking about preconceived notions or opinions. How can we listen to another person’s point of view if our head is already full of bias? Usefulness could be another word for growth or humanity’s ability to effectively adapt and learn.”
“And do you agree with this statement?” Dr. Bhavsar asked.
“I do,” I replied simply.
“I think you’re absolutely right. But we could take this a step further. Sometimes a full pot can hold us back from getting the things we truly want. It’s almost like the cliché of bringing baggage into a new relationship. Are you familiar with it?”
“I am. We bring our experiences and worldview to every new relationship we form,” I answered as Jared shifted in his seat.
Dr. Bhavsar continued. “I think there is a difference between carrying our experiences with us wherever we go and burdening ourselves with a full suitcase—or as Lao Tzu likes to say, a full pot. There’s no room for anything else. You could be missing out on new experiences because you’re too busy clinging to something else.”
Someone in the row behind me interjected. “So, are we supposed to just constantly treat each day like a clean slate? Many philosophers challenge us to use every experience in our arsenal to make meaning of the world and learn. What’s the point of filling our pot, so to speak, if we’re just going to keep emptying it for something else?”
Dr. Bhavsar smiled. “That’s a very good observation, Mr. Shine. What do you think, Miss Garner?”
I swallowed while thinking of how to answer. “The pot isn’t a metaphor for our full experience as humans. I think it doesn’t have to be complicated. I think it’s a pot’s ability to empty itself of burdens that are no longer useful or beneficial that gives it meaning. Willingness to pour out the old makes all the difference. Perhaps a better metaphor would have been a fountain or a river? Ever changing but still of the same source.”
“I’d like to fill you up,” a dumbass guy in the back row said under his breath. I rolled my eyes. Dr. Bhavsar continued.
“Well done, Vera. I personally think you could learn a lot with this lesson. You’ve been holding back a bit. I want you to really dig deep into the nitty gritty of these assignments.” Dr. Bhavsar turned to face the auditorium, now speaking to everyone. “Most of you simply discuss the concept without applying it to your own human experience. Your next assignment, I’d like for you to reference yourself when exploring these concepts. Philosophy only has meaning when we apply it.”
Class continued and I scribbled notes. Jared teased me for not having a laptop, but I liked handwriting my work. The information stuck better. The ninety-minute class flew by, and my fingers were cramping from the information overload by the end of it. “Wanna grab lunch?” Jared asked as we packed up.
“Yeah. I skipped breakfast this morning because I overslept,” I groaned.
“Were you up late having dirty conversations with your uncle again?” he asked teasingly, though there was a hard edge to his tone. I rolled my eyes and shoved my notebook into my bag. “What!” he exclaimed. “We’re friends. We can discuss it. Nothing to be ashamed of. Except for the fact that he’s technically your uncle. And like ten years older. And he’s gone half the year.”
I chewed on my lip. “You sound bitter.”
“Can you blame me? I’m just curious what he has that I don’t.”
The urge to say he had me struck me, but I kept my mouth pinned shut. “I don’t know. I thought we were over this, Jared. If you’re going to keep pressuring me, then I’m—”
“I’m sorry,” he interrupted. “Let’s go grab lunch, okay? I won’t bring it up again. But you can bet your ass, the second he messes up, I’m swooping in.”
I let out a slow exhale while thinking back on Jess’s words.
He’s kind of a whore.
How long until the thrill of chasing after me wore off? I knew it was only a matter of time before he found something else to obsess over. Hamilton didn’t seem like the person to stay long.
“I want pizza today,” I said, changing the subject.
“Good deal. Let’s go.”
We made our way out of the building and started walking through the quad. It seemed everywhere we went,