Dr. Frank

Dr. Frank teaches the philosophy course on Augustine's Confessions. (Yes, I know: an entire class on Augustine's Confessions alone. It's real.) I had met him at a debate for BBC's radio show on immigration. He was sitting next to his wife, and I thought he was just the sweetest husband to his lady. He would always point at her each time she stood up to say something: "Isn't she so clever?"I was even more excited to have him as my professor for my already-assumed favorite class of ever. Maybe he'd say I was clever, too! Then today, I had him as a professor.

Quite a different experience.

Little did I know, Dr. Frank has been blessed with a name that suits his personality best: Frank. This man is not afraid to tell you you're wrong or that your opinion -- though it is yours -- can be irrelevant. I don't mean to disrespect him at all because I actually really respect his ability to guide his students in this manner. He can healthily address the issues of our misconception and direct us to a more insightful perspective. He's not one of those teachers who thinks that there is no such thing as a wrong answer. He challenges you to speak your mind, to learn to stand by your thoughts, and most importantly, he makes you realize that there is always still more you can learn.

Where am I going with this? First day of class, and I already feel intimidated and a tad bit discouraged to share my thoughts on the works. I'm already petrified to say something wrong; I'm scared to be humiliated in front of the class if I ever say anything that's even remotely close to being irrelevant...again.

After my ego recovered (haha), I realized that there is no shame in learning you have been mistaken. There is no shame in knowing only a fraction of what there is to know. If anything, I should let him know all that I'm thinking so I can either be affirmed of my own thoughts or be guided more. It's a win-win situation. There is no greater joy than knowing that there is an infinite amount of surprises that life has in store for us.

If there is anything I learned starting this school year, it's that I know so little -- despite my burning passion for what I love, and whether we learn things in life the hard way or the not so hard way, learning can only be possible if we realize our perpetual need for it.