Interview with the Wise | Teen Ink

Interview with the Wise

December 19, 2007
By Anonymous

What is the greatest event in life, what is the greatest pleasure, what is the greatest difficulty, what is the greatest challenge in life. These questions can cause an easy conflict between the human race. People have different experiences, causing different beliefs in the answers of these question but I actually asked a man these questions. He seemed like a wise elderly man, he was defininately very patient with me as I asked my first question. "What was the greatest event in your life sir?" My voice is very shy, I knew that but he must have thought that I was rather small and young to be asking such questions but he answered me anyway. He told me the greatest event in his life was being born, the beginning of it all. When I asked him what his greatest pleasure of life was he answered "Being able to live life" he explained to me that not everyone can choose their path the way he was able to and was forever grateful for that. When I asked him what his greatest difficulty in life was he thought for a moment, as though he did not know or had to think of it but when he looked me once again his eyes were suddenly serious and grieving. "Knowing that what I did was right thing and being sure God agreed with me." I was kind of confused at the time, ready to ask further but I am not religious so asking such a question would provoke an unwanted conversation. When I asked him what his greatest challenge in life was he gave me a confused look then said "Honey my life ain't over yet." How hard must it be to answer that? I tried to answer it myself but I am not experienced enough in life to even lie. I asked yet again what he greatest difficulty in life was SO FAR then he answered, "Accepting the fact that I am going to die." That caught off guard. Did he not expect himself to die eventually? If he was afraid of death or just expected death would never come for him I would never know but I will never forget this conversation I had with him, I have never, in my fifteen years of life thought as deeply as I did trying to figure out his answers. Could these answers be worth knowing or was I just interviewing a crazy old man who decided that playing with a little fifteen year old's mind would be worth the amusement. I will never know but what I do know is that listening to him speak was like reading a novel, the beginning was sweet and traditional but the ending was unexpected and ready to be written. I now wonder where he now, whether he was dead or telling another little girl his story. I will never know......


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