Wednesday, March 16, 2005

flower pen and moral ambiguity

So I may be a horrible person, just so you know. I was walking back on campus walk from art class today when I saw in the distant future, one of the blind students on campus drop something. She was walking in the opposite direction of me and by the time I got to the spot where she had dropped whatever she had dropped (which turned out to be one of those pens with a flower attached to the end) she had already disappeared into Trinkle. Now, for a few seconds I contemplated not picking the pen up and keeping on walking, but then I was like "Kelly, that's horrible. She's blind, or practically blind, what will she do without her pen?" So, I pick it up and run back into Trinkle. I check the study rooms, the first floor classrooms, and the basement. I didn't check the second floor. Which I probably should have done. But, I couldn't find her, so I didn't know what else to do but to leave. But now I have her really nice flower pen and I'd feel bad using it, even though I didn't steal it or anything - I tried to find her (albeit I neglected the second floor). Hmmm. What should I do? Ignore the pen? Give it to someone else? Use it in conscious-less bliss? Realize that I'm being really stupid and silly over nothing? Yes, it's probably the latter, I know, but I'm a strange creature.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think you and I both know the answer to this one. Throw the ill-gotten pen into the river. ~ Bryan

Kelly said...

Perhaps I will.

Anonymous said...

i think... u should keep the pen, use it and if you ever see the girl again, give it back, but.... if you never see the girl again, you can remember how thoughtful you were every time you use it. - manley

Anonymous said...

It's ok, Kelly. Today at Cici's I filled my water glass with coke out of habit (it's RIGHT next to the ice dispenser) and didn't realize until I'd sat down that I had coke, which I hadn't paid for, in my water glass. I felt so guilty, I went back up to the drinks, poured out the coke, and got water. Now THAT'S an attack of conscience. At least you tried to find the nearly-blind girl. I probably would have just left the pen on the ground. I know, I'm a horrible person. ;-)

Kelly said...

Kim, I shall strive to be like you. :)