Somewhat related to my last post (but not completely, as my students are young and will have many future life experiences to teach them about making good moral choices. And Vick, well...enough said).

I've recently been thinking about the values of a couple of my friends. These are long-term friends who were once very close, but aren't so much any more. Not because of any falling out, but due mostly to geography, and just the way things work out in life.

One of them seems so bitter and underdeveloped. Life is viewed through a lens I don't share, and frankly find offensive. I find myself wondering what life experiences have led to such a hostile attitude. The other is a lot happier, but uses personal relationships for professional gain, which is something I do not understand either. However the industry is hardly a humanitarian one, so it isn't exactly shocking.

I am trying not to be judgmental about their choices. It isn't any of my business. I think it has been on my mind more than usual due to what I've been covering in class and the attitudes expressed in class discussion, and also because I am reading The Winter of Our Discontent. (BTW I'd forgotten the ethnic slurs in that book. They are not mentioned in the introduction. I may do some digging to find out if there is a lesson [as in Huck Finn], or if Steinbeck simply shared his protagonist's prejudice. I confess I can't remember.)