2006 — Most Philosophical 5th Grader in America:

Audrey Zuckerman, Texas

Hope is like a gateway leading you to safety, but taking you away from the world that will make you stronger. Fear is a gateway that leads you to courage. Fear hampers you but makes you stronger. Fear leads you to hope. There would be no hope if there were no fear. Fear will give you hope by anxiety. Remembering all the things you fear and wish to exonerate makes you angry. The anger will get you through it all. If there were only hope and no fear, our world would have no challenges. Hope is a brilliant thing but ghastly alone. Without hope, our world would fall apart. We would never be able to get through simple daily life or have the courage to do the things that make our lives audacious. We would be able to do anything we like, but there would be no adventures. A lifetime is meaningless unless you have challenges and adventures to battle and a complete life to live. On the other hand, our lives with fear only would be appalling. We would never take a risk. We would never be able to socialize in fear of being disliked. Hope and fear rely on each other. The world would anguish if either one were to deteriorate. Neither is in any way powerful or useful without the other. Our world without them would slowly diminish and suffer until we corroded into a mist of confusion and isolation.


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