My tenth grade teacher sorta sucked. He kept talking about the philosophies of the world as he talks about rocks symbolizing the universe and fountains representing life. Things like that. To be clear, these talks were rather interesting. The only reason why I claim he "sucked" was that he didn't really teach much else related to English. 

However, I found myself contemplating upon his words once again as I pointlessly watch time fly. In many of the short stories, novels, and plays we read in class, the reoccurring theme of "fate" seems to pop out of nowhere during his lectures. Oedipus Rex, for instance, tells the tale of people attempting to defy fate- only to realize that they themselves caused it. Other similar stories depict how people try to run from "fate"- only to bump into it once again. 

Meanwhile, one book told of how people didn't run from said "fate". In fact, they embraced it. As a result, a crap ton of them died. Dark.

So in the bathroom, I thought about all this. It was an awkward time to be thinking, but I did it anyways. Are we meant to follow a destiny that has been handed to us right from the start? Or are we allowed to create our own paths in life? Eventually, I got bored of this thought and ended the mindset of "we are free to manipulate fate as long as we are willing to do it." If life hands us lemons, we have many choices. We can plant the lemon seeds. We can eat the lemon. We can make lemonade. We can throw away the lemon. We can give someone else the lemon. The list goes on.

I thought I was done thinking about that crap. Until my current teacher brought this up: "Are we, as humans, bound to go in a circle full of hate, fear, violence, and grief? Or is our fate that of a straight line that goes on to infinity?"

Now I got more mind games as the stupid me didn't want to think further. However, I do recall very few things.

One being that history repeats itself.

Two being that a lot of hate is in the world.

Three being that many of us (including me) are too lazy to deal with it.

Four being that a certain president of the U.S wants to give visible identification to a certain group of people.

Five noting the Holocaust- the genocide of millions of unfortunate Jews

Six connecting how Jews were hated, visibly identified by the government and people, and were unfairly persecuted.

Maybe we are moving in a circle of destruction. Maybe we aren't. Maybe humanity is just moving infinitely forward- blindly into what we call the future. Maybe the future was never bright- maybe it was handed to us. Maybe we can change it. Maybe we can't change it. However, one thing is definite- we can try.

Then I realized a much more relevant fact- I'm better off watching anime. So I did. And nearly got into detention as I was in class.

Whoops.