By Maysen Marolda
Staff Writer
A fascination for philosophy has stimulated Mira Costa English teacher Stacy Cabrera’s inner author, as she has begun planning her own philosophy book, “The Cosmic Explorer.”
Throughout “The Cosmic Explorer,” which will be both a philosophical and literary book, Cabrera plans to share philosophical views, the limitations of those views and how the various branches of English study interact. At the moment, Cabrera does not know how many pages the book will be, but she has developed several chapter overviews and has begun research and basic outlines for her book.
“It seems inherently futile to write this compilation because, ultimately, I can’t do everything,” Cabrera said. “There is not near enough time, as we are limited in a variety of ways, so it seems kind of pointless to write on so many views, and I think there is something noble in that inability to achieve it. I am really trying to be optimistic and learn that it’s all about the journey.”
Cabrera ultimately hopes to conclude in her book that life is a narrative in the same way that a book is a narrative, she said. Additionally, one’s job in trying to uncover the deeper meaning and significance behind one’s own life should be a product of trying to interpret it from multiple viewpoints.
Photos: Mrs. Cabrera plans her philosophy book
“The thing I hope people take away from my book is to be aware,” Cabrera said. “To be aware of people, yourself and the world around you is all I want.”
While Cabrera was a senior in her undergraduate program and when she was acquiring her Master’s degree in philosophy at Loyola Marymount University, she spent both years reading a lot of philosophy and doing research. In the research process, she came across philosopher Aldous Huxley’s book, “Island,” which has greatly inspired her writing ever since.
Video: Costa English teacher Stacy Cabrera uses her outlines in order to draft her book, since she has already collected a majority of the information throughout courses she has taken. Her outlines ranged from final papers to bullet points of quotes from famous philosophers.
“I do not know what I would do without philosophy,” Cabrera said. “It has become such a part of who I am and how I have lived every moment of my existence. I love the idea that there is not an answer, and I could see how people would find that uncomfortable, but I find it inherently beautiful.”
The biggest challenge thus far has been time, Cabrera said. Cabrera works on her book mostly in the summer, in addition to school breaks and weekends. When the book is completed, she plans to publish it. In the future, Cabrera does not know if she will write another novel because “The Cosmic Explorer” will be a lengthy process, she said.
“It is my job as a good steward of experience to be a ‘cosmic explorer,’ in the sense that I am aiming to make an empathetic link to all of the possibilities that exist beyond my own,” Cabrera said. “To inform and live to the fullest my own experience and existence, it is an impossible task, but I think the most important one, in that it helps me ‘squeeze’ the most out of life which I must be consciously aware of at all moments throughout my life.”
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