Bravest Face
"Though we might have precious little, it's still precious."
As the guest speaker arose, the crowd of students stood in respectful silence for what he was going to say. he was a Psychology professor lecturing on the role of fantasy versus reality. He had seen much in his years both as a college professor and in that university called life.
"Hello, I'm a red fox and for those of you who can't wake up at 9:00, my name is Terry Davidson. Yes, I've heard it all- my parents were thinking about that cancer-stricken Canadian hero, Terry Fox, with the prosthetic leg but that's beside the point. I have found in life that no matter how happy you can become, there's always something that casts a pall over your celebration. My favorite songs bring this concept to mind- I like Broadway showtunes where all the actors realize how great the world they live in truly is and the entire play ends in an upbeat song and dance. For a few of us in here, I'm almost certain life is like that- some of us hold that sunlit belief in life that all things will be good."
"What do you mean?" a coyote asked from the back.
"Glad you brought that up. Ever seen a cub? You know how beautiful they look, how innocent they are... until you hear them swear like sailors and throw a temper tantrum. They're taking after their parents, I guess. No matter how sweet they are, there is also a hint of viciousness in them. A newborn looks cute until it's yours and you have to clean up every time it poops itself and pees and throws up. Then, you've gotta show some restraint or you might be like those mothers who we read about in the papers- the ones who kill their offspring."
"Or you... yeah, you the muscle-bound lion in the front row," the professor looked at a football player near ther front. "You're strong but there has got to be something you're afraid of."
After a pause, he spoke up about an incident from his past, a crushing hit from a football game which still proved to be quite nightmarish a year after it occurred. "Last season, I was hospitalized when I got hit real hard. Thought for a moment about lasting damage. I let out a lot of emotion for a tough guy when the doctor told me nothing was wrong. Hugging everybody and whatnot."
"That's my point, exactly", the professor as he walked from side to side "If I remember right, you're Ryan Stanwick and you played through that hit and led us to victory. Your team won but everyone paid a price. You can search the whole world over and you will not find a place without pain and suffering. So we've all got to rise up and put on our bravest face, no matter what might happen."
A female panther stood up and said in her shrill voice "I like that crime show where the detectives solve all the crimes and put the bad guy behind bars through the right evidence."
"Sure forensic detectives are neat and I admire their work. But all too often, the bad guy doesn't get caught in the span of 52 minutes- or ever for that matter. Within the confines of a television show, the heartthrob heroes must win every time and the bad guys must be thrown in the slammer but real life doesn't work that way. By a show of hands, anyone ever been a victim of a robbery?"
At that question, many in the audience raised their hands- this was a community college located very near the city's down-trodden area and many of the students sought most of all to end the cycle of poverty and crime that could have very easily snuffed them out when they were young. They couldn't afford the big-name colleges so this is where they ended up, taking classes at reduced costs in a safe environment.
"Don't you wish the officers could have caught the bad guys and got you your stuff back in record time and in great condition? They can't do it all the time. Now that's proof that what we want to have happen and what actually happens are two different things entirely. Real life shouldn't be as messy as it is."
"So we construct fantasies where heroes win and villains lose. It forms the basis for everything from superhero comics to the religions of the world- justice when we know we've been mistreated, vengeance whenever someone does us wrong. Whether or not, someone be it a man in bright tights and undies or a saintly man from a higher power actually helps us out is irrelevant. We wish all the bad things would just go away magically. But that's not the way things really are- sometimes, in spite of our wishes, the bad guy gets away."
"Excuse me, sir", the voice of a bespectacled otter squeaked weakly from the fourth row. It was one of the older students taking Psychology not to earn a degree but to make life more interesting for himself. He was over 70 years old. "I guess I have stories from my own life that reflect what you're saying. You might think I'm old but I can get angry enough to cause people half my age to take notice. Like when some jerks cut in front of me at the DMV- I caused a scene to get my spot back. These eyes might look old and wizened but they hide a young man ready to declare war on the world."
"This guy's on to something- even the most submissive people in this room, will after being treated like a doormat, feel insulted, feel angry and be compelled to change things. And when they do, watch out. The people who might need a little help in being strong and courageous, can learn to be assertive and suggest their own way of doing things. Think for yourself, act for yourself, but do for others- that's what they do. Certainly, society has its ways of hammering down these nails but there are those who persist. Things seem to operate smoothly but in the smoothest ride, there is most definitely a squeaky wheel."
This was one of the rare moments where students actually are enraptured by what the professor is saying but the clock on the wall was ticking and soon they would be released into the world beyond the classroom. The more astute did not want the fox to stop but Mr. Davidson would soon be leaving. He glanced at his watch as some packed up their belongings.
"I know you guys want to apply these lessons- we're about to run out of time as it is. But I want you all to know that no matter where you go, there is no place free of pain and negativity. I think we've all heard it before shit happens, everyone knows that. So you've just got to smile and like I said before, put on your bravest face."
"And one last thing," Mr. Davidson said as the students were making their way towards the exits in preparation for their next classes, "though we might have precious little, it's still precious."