The Broken Soldier

Brian stopped by for a visit.  My wife was working from home.  Our daughter was here.  Brian and I, in spite of our educations, combined IQs, strict Catholic upbringings, and neither of us having ever worn Crackerjacks or Khakis rely heavily on curse words in normal conversation.  We sat outside, smoked Djarums, drank Starbucks, and tried to keep the curse-filled confab to a dull roar.

We talked about many topics, as we always do.  We can discuss philosophy and sciences and other academic bullshit without a need to prove anything to each other.  Which is nice.  He’s teaching two classes, one at A2 and the other at U of Windsor.  He wrecked his old car, and had to get a new one.  It’s nice.  But of the many subjects we discuss, I appreciate the personal discussions most.  We discussed the loss of his Dad, and the loss of my health.  He’s worried about me.  Just like everyone else.

He’s got a McGill Ph.D. in philosophical logic, modal to be precise, as those of you of who follow this site already know.  Brian also is about 4/5ths the way through an Honors Biology degree.  He feels, as I did as I went through university, that it’s important to balance and round one’s education.  Aside from the enjoyment of learning stuff, this approach makes one conversant in many subjects and allows one to speak intelligently to those subjects - a rare, almost Renaissance, approach by today’s standards.  We got to talking, almost lightly debating, whether my gloomy opinions regarding my health now and in the future are justified.

We didn’t really make any headway clarifying points of disagreement - yes, that is what a ‘debate’ is, clarifying points of disagreement assuming a similar or commensurable method/perspective.  Though in our culture of “everyone on the internet is a fucking expert in every subject” (INSERT COLOSSAL EYE ROLL HERE), Jerry Springer, hit your opponent over the head with a chair while questioning his paternity and other concernments designed to remove focus from ascertaining the truth of a subject under discussion, most are clearly confused about what that term means.  (Which, by the way, is the primary reason I don’t grant open post privileges on this site.)  We were coming from two very different starting points.  I was quoting peer-reviewed lit.  Brian was applying standard criticisms of induction.  Who’s right, neither of us were willing to say.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

But as I wait and see, and my family and friends are dragged along for that painful ride, not knowing is possibly the worst, most depressing part.