The Importance of Paper Airplanes

      Last night was my husband's weekly "poker game for nerds". He and some of his colleagues meet at a local bar to have dinner and drinks and discuss an article that they've read over the past week. Last week the article had a substantial part of it devoted to what sort of property the elasticity of a rubberband is. Last night this group of professors from local colleges discussed whether the same piece of paper can be an airplane and a letter. When I wake up at midnight to his dark form in the bedroom, groping through piles of clean (or dirty)  laundry for his pjs, and ask him how it was, he usually says, "terrific".

      That's the problem with philosophy. It can look absolutely ridiculous from the outside (and my description isn't helping). Having my hands full all day with 3 little ones, I see it out of context and can see how people scoff at it. Or run from it. But, for example, when I read Epictetus' writings on Stoicism, or Locke's writings on political philosophy (which, I will say, I am forced to re-read because I assign it to my students; otherwise, I just don't have the time!), I remember why I love it. And why I want my kids to read it. And love it. (Which is the kiss of death). 

        In any case,  I worked a "double" yesterday so that my husband could discuss paper airplanes.