John Locke, R.W.Pretzer

John Locke
By Randall W. Pretzer

"You spent your money on a worthless suit….you should have got a book by John Locke…" I said. I was furious looking at this man with his new suit on…..telling me…no bragging to me how much it cost.
"Who is John Locke? Why should I care?" he said indifferently. This was too much.
"Who is John Locke? What are you deranged? He is only one of the most important philosophers…..we may not have a the United States if he never lived." I was just screaming at him now. He just looked at me scratching my head confused as hell I could tell.
"I just want to get a new pair of shoes…..why are you bothering with me?" He said confused. I looked at him and threw my hands up in the air and walked off. I didn't even care about his reaction. The ignorance of society. The moral decay of the education system. How does one graduate from high school….or college…not knowing the greats? Adam Smith? Karl Marx? Voltaire? The men and ideas that have helped shape civilization…give us what we have today. I don't understand. I sat down a nearby bench for I was exhausted….just from being so angry….so frustrated and just constantly thinking about…..it didn't matter anymore.
The bench fell apart as I tried to sit on it and fell on my back. I just laid there. I had no energy left. I turned on my side to get a bit more comfortable and I saw that same man who wanted shoes come out of the shoe shop we were standing next to. I looked at him and he saw me. He paused for a minute and then came rushing over to where I was. I didn't move.
"Excuse me sir….are you all right…?" He said with a sense of urgency and concern I was not expecting. I thought he wished to fight.
"No, sir… thank you….I am just very tired…I need to rest." I said kindly.
"No problem….I know a sturdy bench not too far from here….I can show you…" He said kindly.
"No thank you….I am very comfortable where I am." I said almost laughing for I know I sure didn't look comfortable but I was. I was laying on my side in a rubble of wood from the bench.
"You're welcome..good sir…. Good day." He said kindly and headed back in the direction of the shoe store. What kind of a man was I? You fool. He didn't know who John Locke was and you hated him for it? I was mad at myself now. He was a kind man and I treated him unfairly. It was not my concern he didn't know who John Locke was. He came out to buy some shoes. He didn't want a fight. He wanted shoes. Shame on me.