My life was becoming more difficult and confusing.  I had graduated from high school and was now about to attend the University of Texas at Austin. I was already starting to miss my old friends that I had known all or most of my life. The good times had begun to fade, and the uncertainty of the future had begun to crowd my thoughts.

             The questions “What will you do with your life?” and “Can you really make it in the academic world?” surfaced throughout many of my waking moments. I feared that the University of Texas at Austin in many ways would resemble a cold, grey factory where acceptable products were utilized and lesser ones were thrown aside in careless fashion. I felt like a piece of metal at the beginning of an assembly line. I wondered if I would survive in this cold, often impersonal environment that I was about to enter.

My parents now seemed distant from me. I would miss them greatly, but at the same time I could not identify with the life they had lived and were now living. They seemed to live on a different planet, products of a different time and culture. It was hard for them to relate to the struggles I now found myself going through. My parents tried, but did not seem to be able to identify with me. I knew that life had changed for all of us.

The existential search for meaning that can pervade any person’s mind was resident in me daily. I began to wonder about my purpose and function in this world filled with apathy. Henry David Thoreau once said, “Most men live lives of quiet desperation.” I felt this “quiet desperation” taunt me and at times subdue me. Life had become a daily struggle for meaning and even personal sanity. I felt that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, but maybe it was the proverbial train coming at me. I knew that the next few years would reveal at least some of the answers to my questions. However, I did not know if these answers would be satisfactory. Pessimism was beginning to rule the day. I felt that the best way to escape my despondency would be to face these questions as they confronted me. However, my subconscious emanated different thoughts and solutions. 

 

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I was exercising one day and decided to take a run.  I was feeling very energetic, so my run took me farther than I had ever gone before.  I ran to an area of mesquite trees at the end of my workout. It seemed like a secluded area, so I decided to take a nap to rebuild my strength.  Due to all the exercising I felt very tired. I found a comfortable area and leaned against a tree.  I slowly fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke up, I started stretching, thinking how well rested I was.  I was shocked to see how raggedy my clothes were.  My t-shirt had lost its once bright-blue color and seemed to be worn out.  It was old and dirty; it also had holes in various places.  My sweat pants had gone through a test of time.    I also felt different.  Though rested, I felt not as energized as I did before my nap.  I started exploring my body, realizing that I appeared much older than sixteen.  I had thick hair growing out of my arms and legs.  My hair was long, reaching the back of my waist.  I had also grown a beard.  It did not look like the facial hair I once had, but it was an extensive bundle of hair reaching well past my chest.  At this point, I was really freaking out and started making my way out of the wooded area.  Once I got out, I couldn’t believe my eyes. 

The city that I once knew so well, Roma, had become a thriving metropolis.  The once simple Highway 83 was now a full-blown eight-lane interstate.  I started walking back in the direction that was once toward my house; I could only hope it was still there.  I looked around and was fascinated by what I saw. As I walked towards the direction of my house, I saw a sign that said, "Welcome to the University of Texas at Austin.”  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My periphery was moving in circles and my mind was in another stage. I was feeling so nervous because everything around me was just so big and there were so many people within eyesight. Seeing my friend, Tom, was a huge relief. I knew that everything was just a dream, so I was ready to go back to my normal life. Closing my eyes and tapping my shoes, I wondered if it was not a dream. I asked Tom if he knew what was going on. He just said, "Jose, be ready for our Calculus class; I heard that our professor is recognized as one of the best professors from all over the world. His way of teaching is to present you with things that have not yet been proved, and with all kinds of things which might turn out to have a counterexample, and sometimes unsolved problems, that is, unsolved by anyone, not only unsolved by you. So you have some idea of what it means to be a mathematician, more than the average undergraduate does today.” Then I started getting more nervous. Just yesterday I was a kid playing with my videogames. Now I’m about to go to Calculus class with some unknown professor at the University of Texas at Austin. I didn’t panic because I was familiar with the basic methods of using calculus.

 Suddenly I saw this old man with a book in his hand and with a big smile on his face. He stated, "My name is Robert Lee Moore. I will be your professor for this course. The first thing we are going to do is try to work at solving problems, and input all the information we can gather, and try to see how we can use this information outside the box. I know that sometimes it is really stressful when you can’t acquire this information but the key to success is challenging our minds and thinking beyond our paradigms.” Class ended and everyone was rushing to the next class. I didn’t even bother to go to my other class, because I had no idea what I was doing here. I stayed for a while in the class, and the professor just looked at me and said, "If you have any questions regarding this course you can come to my office during my office hours." I was looking forward to attending his office hours and acquiring information from his experiences.  This was the moment I was waiting for; it was only me and the professor, and I was anxious to hear how he became one of the greatest mathematicians of all time.

[1]

Me: Hi, Dr. Moore, tell me a little bit about yourself. Where and when were you educated? How did you spend your earliest years as an instructor?

Dr. Moore: Ok, I am Robert Lee Moore. I entered the University of Texas in 1898, and there I took courses by Halsted and Dickson, who were some of the toughest professors at that time.  Then I graduated with a Sc.B in 1901, and after a year of teaching at the University of Texas at Austin, I was a mathematics instructor at a High School in Marshall, Texas. I spent most of my time at the University of Texas, rather than spending my years as a instructor in High School. For some reason the university regents refused to renew my appointment despite strong protests from Professor Halsted.

Me: Is it true that you proved that one of Hilbert's Geometry axioms was not quite precise? What transpired on that occasion?

Dr. Moore: Well, let me tell you how it all started. I remember being in my Calculus class, and Professor Halsted had suggested a problem to be done in class. Seeing this problem I knew that it was not quite precise and finally proved that these axioms can be done in a simpler manner. At that time, Elakin Moore, who was the head of the mathematics department heard about the proof, and he awarded me a scholarship that would allow me to study for my Ph.D. in Chicago. 2

Me: What else have you accomplished in your career? Have you published the results of your research?

Dr. Moore: I also published seventeen papers of point set topology (a branch of math in which one investigates how to put the structure of a set in such a way as to generalize the idea of continuity of maps from topographic representation to mathematical theory). After all my hard work I was appointed as an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Ok Jose, enough about me. So what are your plans in the future? What is your favorite area of study?

Me: I want to be a Calculus Professor and discover a theorem that will be helpful to our society. I would like to advance the understanding of Calculus. I want to research and advance many theories of Calculus.

Dr. Moore: Wow!!! You sure have great plans for your future. I certainly wish you the best, as you pursue these goals.

Me: Can you teach me some of your teaching methods? Everyone is saying that you have attracted many students to your class. Would you be able to show me how you inspired so many students in such a difficult field as Calculus?

Dr Moore: My teaching methods are really unique. “Students who had already taken courses in function theory and who therefore presumably know the basic topological properties of the linear continuum and the complex plane are not allowed to take any of my courses. And students already in "Foundations" were virtually forbidden to take courses containing related material. Reading books or papers’ relating to the material of the course was also ruled out.”   You see, Jose, my primary method is to develop research ability, not knowledge alone. Do you understand what I am trying to say? I hope I am making myself clear.

Me: So, what you are trying to explain to me is that you let the students learn from their own mistakes. Is it possible to get the attention of the class while you are lecturing? How do you do that?  Do you have any special techniques?

Dr.Moore:  You need to motivate them while you are lecturing. First of all, try not to repeat the same stuff over and over or you will lose the attention of the class. Secondly, whenever I am lecturing, I try to give examples and relate each example in a simpler fashion so they can have an idea what I am talking about. I have another method I use. I let my students prove any theory they choose. This allows me to become more familiar with the abilities of the students. I then let other students who don’t have as much capacity and knowledge in Calculus prove a theorem under my personal scrutiny. If a student states that he can prove a theorem, I ask him or her go the blackboard to prove his or her theorem.  Then the other students, who have not been able to work out the proof of this theorem, make sure that the proof presented was correct and convincing.

Me: What happens if an argument used in is shown to be false? How do you handle a situation like this?

Dr. Moore:  If a flaw appears in a proof, everyone should wait patiently for the student at the board to solve the proof. If he is not able to accomplish his task, he will be asked to sit down. Then, I ask another student to try to solve the theorem. If no one is able to figure out the proof, then it is my job to teach them how to prove that the theorem that you are working is correct. I do this carefully and methodically.

Me: Now I am sure that my career as a mathematician is going to be success. Thank you, Dr Moore; I am glad I had this conversation with you. I hope that we can have many more of these. Excuse me, Dr. Moore, I have to be leaving. Thank you for your time.

Dr. Moore: Just remember that the key to success is never giving up and always putting forth an extra effort. I also look for constant feedback from my students. Whenever you feel the need for a friend, you know where to contact me.

3

 

 

 

 

 

4

As I was leaving the university, I couldn’t stop thinking about where my family could be. For a second, I thought that my parents had forgotten about me. Why didn’t they call me?  They knew the number of my cell phone.  I realized that I was not that important to anyone. Suddenly, I could not believe my eyes. I saw my brother Julio, who was at least fifty-five years old.  At first he didn’t recognize me, but then when he realized who I was he started crying.  He said that everyone thought I was dead. I told him what happened and he could not believe it.   He soon told me my parents had moved to Mier and that my grandparents passed away a long time ago.  He started telling me about everything that had happened in the last twenty years. I listened intently. So much had changed in my world .I could not bear it. There had been so much time lost in my life; so many people had died and so many people were born that I had never met. I realized that so many people had moved to other places and that so many of my friends had gotten married. Sadly, I also learned that some had divorced. Everyone I cared about and loved was either gone or fading away.  I couldn’t take it any more; I started running as fast as my old bones could carry me to the street.  Just then a car was coming towards me.  I screamed right before it hit me and then…I woke up.

I awoke in the original spot of mesquite trees I had woken up in before.  I examined myself and was apparently back to normal.  Both my clothes and body were as they once were.  My shirt was once again bright blue and the facial hair which had covered my chest was now gone.  I quickly ran home to make sure everything was back to normal.  On my way, I saw the buildings, street and people were all back to normal.  Highway 83 was a simple five-lane road.  I got home and saw my sister and her boyfriend talking on the porch.  I was about to tell them about my dream when my sister asked me a question.  “We were talking about having kids one day.  What do you think about the name “Robert Lee” for a boy?”

 

 

                                      

One day my mind wondered off into what seem to be another world or dimension. I began to see myself on a trip with Dr. Moore, the calculus professor, who had taught me so much about life during the other “times” that I had spent with him.

Dr. Moore, the tall, adventurous calculus teacher, truly made me realize the value of education. As far as academics were concerned, I believed I had always tried my best in reaching my full potential. That is, until I met Dr. Moore. He made me understand that I was not reaching out for my real potential.  Dr. Moore offered to help me out on a couple of problems I had been experiencing with calculus and after a short while he became not only a tutor, but a true friend.  I cannot even begin to imagine how many hours I spent in his classroom after the last school bell had rung. Posters of mathematical formulas and other mnemonic devices covered the walls in his office. It was a very tutorial session led by a very lively teacher. He went over math in great detail while also informing me of how eminently important it was for academics to be my top priority. Dr. Moore was not only a great teacher; he was a great person who I saw as a father. Although Dr. Moore’s main purpose was to perfect my calculus skills, he did so much more that he was unaware of. He convinced me into believing that anything was possible if I put my mind to it. If I wanted to be the president of the United States, he would say, "Hey, the sky's the limit." After the year ended, my goals had unconsciously changed for the better. I believed in myself, my capabilities, and accomplishing anything as though the world was an open door to endless possibilities.  I was appreciative about Dr. Moore for what he had taught me about life.

            School was almost over and I wanted to thank Dr. Moore for everything that he had done in the past few years. The only way I could pay him back was to invite him to summer vacation with my family.  We were going to spend the summer at the beach, leaving behind all the unpleasant moments. After a long time, searching the internet for different kinds of traveling packages, we decided that we were going to Cancun.  As we ventured through a long flat stretch of highway and the hills of Northern Mexico, my anticipation grew for the warm air of the Caribbean Island.  As the sunset arrived, we entered Cancun, Mexico.  We spent the night in a cheap, run-down hotel called Crown Paradise Club. Morning came, and we rushed to get our things. When we reached our condo on the beach, we were overwhelmed with excitement. We unloaded our van full of luggage, and placed it inside.  To our amazement, we noticed the heavenly view of the Caribbean Sea.  With the view so inviting we hurried down to the beach.  As I walked along the beach, the sand felt light and fluffy between my toes.  You could hear the waves crashing into the shore and smell the fresh water.

                                                             

Dr. Moore:   “Jose, there are many things we can learn from observing all that has been created around us. There is a quote in the Bible that says, ‘Does not nature itself teach you?’ There is a panorama of lessons that can be learned from even the smallest creatures on Earth.  Even the ants we see here set a goal and stay with it. There is another quote in the Book of Proverbs that says, ‘Go to the ant, oh sluggard, and consider her ways.’ Without having a chief or ruler, she gathers a harvest in summer and prepares her food for winter.”  So you see even the smallest of creatures can give us insight and wisdom.  The whole of nature contains many worthwhile lessons if we will slow down and take the time to observe them. This is one of the reasons why we have taken this vacation.

                                                           

Me:  “Cancun is naturally a heaven for water sports of all kinds.  Just about every kind of water sport is available here.  Almost every beach has vendors that offer parasailing, banana rides, jet skis and other varieties of small watercraft. The beaches are one of Cancun's most famous attractions, and everyone seems to enjoy the endless activities that abound on almost every beach. You can enjoy volleyball, parasailing, snorkeling, and wave-runners or just a relaxing day in a hammock. It is you’re choice and all are easily available all along the many miles of incredible beaches.”

Dr. Moore: “Enough about the history of Cancun.  Instead of listening to all this history why aren’t we enjoying the fact that we are here in this Caribbean Island? Let’s live out this vacation, and not talk about it as much.” 

 

                                                                                         

At the end of the day everything was going ok until the unexpected happened.  As we were heading toward the river, Dr. Moore lost his balance and fell off the bridge into the water. I thought for a moment that he was going to drown. As I rushed toward him I could not think of what to do because of all my anxiety.  I looked around to get some help, but there was no one in our immediate area. Then all of sudden I knelt down and held out my hand to grab his. Miraculously (I didn’t know how I did it) I was able to grab his hand. I knew that I would not be able to hold his hand long enough to pull him up, so I had to do something immediately. But what could I do? My mind could not think of anything. All of a sudden I took off my sock and held it out toward Dr Moore. He was able to get a hold of my sock and that enabled me to pull him back to the shore. As the sun was going down, we headed to the condos. The day had been a very emotional one for both of us.

                                                         

On our second day in Cancun, we woke up to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. We went down to the beach to take a walk, and came across beautiful sea animals that were being washed up by the waves.  Their lives had been cut short by the course of nature. I looked at these beautiful creatures and saw how transient life could be.

Me:  “Dr Moore do you want to go the island called Isla Mujeres?”

Dr. Moore: “I am not sure. What is Isla Mujeres? I don’t want another accident to happen. I am still shaken by what happened yesterday.”

Me: “Isla Mujeres is one of those great places that defy description; the name means "Island of Women".   Isla Mujeres is always blessed with cooling breezes.  This is a great place to kick back and forget everything.  You can even rent a motor scooter and tour the island, get a massage, take in a dolphin show or even swim with them.  Or just relax on the beach and read a book.”

Dr Moore: “That sounds like a great idea.  I need some time to think about it.”

Me: “Dr Moore, who inspired you as you were growing up? How did you become so good in math?” 

Dr Moore: “My passion for math and education in general is something I got from my father. From the time I was little he had been intensely involved in my education. I was always taught that average was not good enough and that I should always be ten steps ahead of my fellow classmates. Looking back, I remember him continuously stressing the importance of a good education. Some days he would take me for walks in the hills with a determination to teach me whatever he could think of that day. [2]”

 

 

 

Me: “So every time you had a problem, your father was always there to back you up.”

Dr. Moore: “Yes, indeed, my dad was always there to help me up with personal problems and with my school work. There was one time when I was eleven. I was studying for a math test on a topic in geometry that I didn’t understand, so I went to my dad for help. My father was fixing our refrigerator and quickly dropped everything to help me. We stayed up late that night working out math problems with a piece of chalk on the basement walls and floor. I ended up with a hundred- and most importantly- I assimilated that information into my long term memory.  What about you? Who has inspired you to keep on going? “

Me:  “My family as a whole has inspired me to keep on going. One motive I have is I don’t want to disappoint my mom. I come from a family of four brothers and two of my brothers are in Head Start. My father earns a low wage and it is really hard for him to support my whole family. This crisis has inspired me to get an education so I can manage to get the schooling that my parents never had. I want to be able to help them out financially.”

Dr. Moore: “Jose, I know this is not the right time to talk about this. But remember to set your goals in life. Setting goals is a very important part of success. First of all, it gives you a reason to keep moving, a motive to strive for something. Secondly, it helps you to believe in yourself. There are certain goals you set for yourself that may be very hard to achieve. In fact, you may not ever even reach them, but at least you tried. That's what life's all about anyway. Trying, not giving up along the way. If you give your total effort, in the end you will be satisfied with your life. You'll look back and realize you did the best you could. I am sure that you understand everything that I am saying, I just want for you to succeed in life because you have the potential within you.”

Me: “Can you teach me everything about setting goals?”

Dr. Moore: “I will teach you some of the things that my father taught during his life time. He taught me to take time off so that I could establish goals for my life. He also taught me that I had to take the time to regularly recalculate these goals and sometime to establish new goals. For example, when I got married and had a family I had to establish goals with my wife for our relationship and for our children. I had to adjust our professional goals to take into account the needs of our family. I also had to establish goals for my children and teach them to establish goals for themselves. This requires constant dialogue with my wife and children. I had to learn that each child was unique in his/her talents, so that their individual goals would be suited to that child. I also felt that it was my job to encourage my family as they reached for and accomplished their goals. My children learned that it is important to have direction in life, just as I had received constant direction from my father. They did not always like the fact that I held them accountable for the direction they were going in, and that there were consequences for goals met or not. They later learned to appreciate what I was trying to do in their lives. I am proud to say that all of my children have been are successes. When I call them successes, I mean that they have achieved many of their goals and have other visions for their lives. It is important, Jose, for you to realize that success is not a product of other people’s opinions, but of you fulfilling your own dreams and visions. When you have your own family someday, I hope you will teach this lesson to them. If you become a teacher this is one of the most important things you can teach to your students. Some will listen and some will not. Focus on those students who will listen.”

 

Me: “You have been more than a friend to me and I know that whenever I feel the need for a friend I can count on you. You helped me understand many different concepts that I will never forget. You are the reason why I want to be a mathematician. I hope I see you in my future and if don’t you will always be in my heart.”

Dr. Moore: “This is not time for sad moments. We have to enjoy our last night here in Cancun; what do you want to do Jose?”

Me: “Do you want to go sport fishing? I heard that Cancun and the surrounding area offer some excellent sport fishing; you can go deep sea fishing in the outer Caribbean for sailfish, marlin, dorado, wahoo, grouper and bluefin tuna.”

Dr. Moore. “That sounds like a great idea. Before you weren’t allowed to go deep sea fishing unless you had a license. Now at days everything has changed; many different kinds of laws are being passed allowing people to do a variety of activities that were prohibited.”

 On our last day in Cancun we spent it on the beach, listening to the sounds of nature, catching colorful sea shells in the ocean water, and building beautiful sculptures of sand castles. It was a day to remember and we were not hoping for this day to end. As the night rolled around we watched the beautiful sunset in the sky and listened to the roaring waves crash against the shore.  Sadly, the sun rose and Dr. Moore and I awoke.  We ate breakfast and slowly packed our bags. We left Cancun. Finally, we arrived in Roma, and I was anxious to tell my friends about my learning experience with Dr. Moore. I talked to Mr. Ramos, my calculus teacher, about my learning experience with Dr.Moore and he didn’t believe me. He said that Dr Moore had died sixty years ago. One night in my sleep I had this weird dream about an old man who looked exactly like Dr. Moore. The old man got close to me and said, “he job is done you are ready to become a great mathematician.”