Simple Questions

The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change.
Richard Bach

Professor Hamamoto often liked to indulge himself in thought producing questions. He liked the way that every time you asked yourself the same questions, the answer no matter what it was, always changed. He smiled as he looked out of his car window toward the students as he pulled into the school parking lot. The different groups of teens and the people they surrounded themselves with, would it affect their answers? He asked himself, surely the popular's would answer that they wanted fame and recognition, while the average student would just want an easy life... He opened his car door and began his daily routine. He would go to the teachers' lounge greet the teachers that had already arrived and get his mail, then he would go and clock in, and finally he would get ready for the long school day ahead of him.

He looked at the lesson plans he had prepared for the day. English... They were due to start reading a new novel today. He sighed as he stood up and prepared to write the days assignments on the board. Grabbing his dry-erase markers, he proceeded to write the days assignments on the board. He looked at his watch as he finished and noticed it was almost time for class. Sitting down at his desk he watched as the students began to file in. He noticed that every group of students was different than the last. He watched as they interacted with one another. He smiled as he remembered a well-known saying, 'Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are.'

The bell rung signaling the beginning of class. Mr. Hamamoto took one last look at the board before deciding that both he and the students needed a break.

"All right settle down class," he said as he stood at the front of the class, "Today we are supposed to start reading 1984," He paused as the sound groans, and talking filled up the room. "But, I have decided that we will do something else today."

He walked toward the board and began to write the questions that were currently occupying his mind. When he finished he turned around to face his class.

"I want all of you to take out a sheet of paper and answer these simple questions. I want both questions and answers." As he finished he looked at his class. All of them despite the look of horror at the prospect of this pop quiz were following directions.

"Don't worry," he reassured them, "There are no wrong answers. I just felt like we needed to know each other better, since were stuck with each other for the rest of the year." He walked to his desk and sat down watching his class. The students seemed happier at the fact that there was no way they could fail this quiz.

"You may begin," He told them," You have until the end of class to answer these questions. Good luck."

He looked at the pile of quiz papers he had gotten. School had ended half an hour ago, and he was done reading and grading their papers. Most, like he had guessed were influenced by their friends, some practically had the same answers. He shook his head as he looked down at the pile once more before taking out a few choice papers. He had gotten eight different papers, from eight different people answering the same eight questions. He looked at each paper as he read the answers once more.

Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
- Actually yes, the death of my entire family. I was young when it happened which is why I think I can't let it go. Especially, when I know the person who caused me so much pain and changed my view on the world is still out there. Hidden behind the lie that it was all for the greater good. Maybe it's the fact that I know him personally...you could say he's a friend.

Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
-I would rather lose all of my old memories. It wouldn't be a problem since I can't remember most of my past anyway. Given that choice I would rather not be able to remember my past, this way I would still be able to make new memories. Especially, since every day I make new memories, by myself, with my friends, and with the person I love.

What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?
-Okay, don't laugh but my happiest memory is when I first saw the world. Yes, I know sounds stupid. But, my Father didn't allow me to leave our home when I was younger. So I would always daydream about what was out there. One day my sister snuck me out and I saw the world. That was the first time I actually saw a motorcycle. And growing up that is what I mostly wanted. That way I could escape my father and be my own person.

If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
-That's a hard question. If for some reason I knew that the world was going to end tomorrow I would probably visit my sister. She lives with my mother and growing up I never got to see her. She suffers from bad vision that would have cost her, her eyesight but with the help of my friend I was able to pay for her operation. She's alright now, and I think that I would spend my whole day with her, if the world was going to end tomorrow.

What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
- I would be my inner self. If nobody would judge me then I think I would me more courageous. I wouldn't be afraid to stand up to those who think it's okay to bring me down... I would finally be able to tell my father just how horrible of a father he's been all these years. I would tell the one person who made my life a living hell, how much I hated him for it.

Which is worse, failing or never trying?
-Never trying. I would rather fail at something and know what I did wrong, rather than not do anything and never know what I missed. If I had never challenged my stepfather to a game of chess, then who knows where me and my younger brother would've ended up. Luckily I did, and know I own Japan's biggest gaming company. Now I can make sure that my brother is safe and has the life he deserves.

To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
- To what degree? To some degree. I made a wish once. I wished to have friends and that is what I have now. Because, of some of those friends I've gone on adventures that have changed my life. I have controlled the course my life has taken because I could have easily given up after the first few adventures. They were dangerous, and probably even life threatening. But I chose to keep going. So on a scale of one to ten. I'd say an eight.

Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
-Hmmmm, what and interesting question. I should ask the baka pharaoh later, and see what he says. What do I think? I believe that on a personal scale everybody would know what is good and bad. I mean you know its bad when you kill a person right? WRONG! Well, at least for me it isn't~ If you were to ask somebody this well, of course you would get a multitude of answers everybody has a different view. So, on a public level I would think not.

He looked at each one these papers. Eight students. Each one had answered every question but only those really stood out to him. These students, whether they knew it or not, had an individual perspective on the world. You could practically see their view on life through these answers. He smiled as he put away the papers. How could such simple answers, have such profound answers?