Think about things, we did. But we had more questions than answers. In fact, we still didn't have much of a clue about what Dr. Acton and "The Obstacle Course" was all about.

Why didn't Dr. Acton give some structure to the class? If he was following a lesson plan, why didn't he let us know the schedule? What did he expect from us? And, yes, what about grades? When the course is over, how will we know how well we did? ... And another thing... Why did the old man carry around an old, soft-leather briefcase that's empty? What was the purpose?!

That question intrigued me because everything Dr. Acton said and did seemed so purposeful. Yet, his actions and his reactions seemed to occur so spontaneously! He possessed an extraordinary sense of control -- so extraordinary that we wondered whether anything could rattle him.

I wasn't the only one so intrigued. In fact, word spread quickly among my classmates that someone devised a plan to "trick" the dear doctor. He was going to be in for a surprise, and everyone was anxious about what would happen. Not only did the 33 of us from last week show up for class, but so did two others who had attended the first week.

What was "the trick" going to be? I felt a pang of guilt as Dr. Acton galloped into the room promptly at 7 p.m.

"Good evening, everyone!" the unsuspecting leader said with a smile as he propped up his portfolio on the desk. "Good evening!" was the reply in unison.

"Is this a newfound enthusiasm, or have you all conjured up some answers to the questions you posed last week?" Dr. Acton asked.

John was first to reply. "Doctor, you threw our questions back at us again. How are we to find the answers?"

"Good question, son! How are we to find the answers! WE ASK!" the wise man said.

"But, we did ask..." John said.

Dr. Acton then interjected, "Sometimes you must ask, ask, and ask again to get the information you want. Give up, and what will you have?... NO ANSWER!!! You must know what you want to ask; you must know how to ask it; you must figure out who to ask it of -- and sometimes you need only to ask it again of yourself because YOU have answers within you to questions that have not been asked!"

"So, now I ask again," John implored. "Why haven't we been given a course syllabus and a reading list, Dr. Acton?"

"My friend," he finally obliged, "the answer is simply because you don't need them for this course. You are here, in class. If you pay attention, if you open your mind, if you think about what is discussed, if you ask questions, if you seek the answers, if you understand the concepts, if you utilize those concepts in your everyday life, you will LEARN and you will continue to learn for as long as you practice these things."

He continued, gazing throughout the audience, "I want your minds focused on learning about obstacles and how to deal with them. You will learn by earnest, thoughtful action, not by locking your minds to some inflexible guideline that assumes authority simply because it has been committed to paper!"

Suddenly, the door to the room closed with a click. "Don't bother getting it," Acton instructed. "Let's not let anything interrupt this discussion."

There was a brief shuffling of bodies in their seats in the back of the room, and a quick glance back revealed some not-too-well-concealed smiles.

The teacher continued, "Regarding a reading list, YOU KNOW what you have to read to learn about things that you need to know and YOU KNOW what you have to read to learn about things that are important to you. If you don't know, you can find out by ASKING. Reading is your responsibility. All I will say is don't let lack of knowledge or lack of ability to acquire knowledge become an obstacle in your lives. It doesn't have to be. YOU can decide about that."

"Uh, Doctor, what about grades?" came a voice from the far end of the room.

The old man winced as if his most heartfelt prose had just been pierced by a sling of outrageous fortune.

He stared icily ahead, quickly and boldly moving his eyes from one to another of us, seemingly searching to connect with the inner vision deep beyond the surface of our brows. There was just a brief second of almost breathless anticipation, and then came a jarring SILENCE. Dr. Acton merely leaned against the desk, rested his chin upon his open palm, and stared at us.

After about a minute, he spoke, softly, addressing the questioner in form, but the class in posture. "What about grades? Why do you think I haven't mentioned grades?"

Everyone remained silent.

"If you focus on grades, your perceptions of this class may not be broad enough to include whole spheres of opportunities for your minds to grow. You may ruin the fun, shut down the creativity, get stuck on form, and never see the path to what is most important."

He continued, "Your participation in this class is most relevant to me; your grades are not. Those who journey on "The Obstacle Course" always learn where they stand."

"If you are afraid about what grade you will receive, I give you two choices: leave the class now, and don't worry about it; or stay in the class, and do not worry about it! Do yourselves a favor -- leave your worries at the door. Come to class -- pay attention, think, learn, and use what you learn -- and you will do well."

"... Now, let us get on with the course!" he said, clapping his hands with excitement. No one rushed toward the door.

Suddenly, it appeared something wonderful was about to happen: Dr. Acton was about to teach!