A wonderful British series called TO SERVE THEM ALL MY DAYS, is about an exclusive "Public school" (actually an upper class private school,) known as Bamfylde.

Algy Herries , the kind-heared retiring headmaster , made a final speech   which, to me, has extraordinarily significance. After talking about a teapot, and the boy who owes him 5 bob, he went on to say as follows: ( I used the subtitles, play and pause button to get as much down as I could accurately)—
                                              

“Well, you know we’ve had our share of brilliant men at Bamfylde, I can’t claim any credit for them. They’d have got on wherever they  were. But I do like to think that the school has been able to do something for the average thick-skulled bungler, which is what most of us are at bottom, eh Mr. Alcock? Well, I’m just going to tell you about two chaps who were called Petherbridge and Rodgers—
Goodness  knows why they’ve popped into my head after 20 years but there they are. They’ll due as well as anyone.

   Now Petherbridge was one of our skyrockets. He went on to become president of an insurance company or something. He got the OBE or the DBT or whatever it is these chaps get—and Chuff Rodgers never got anything—except once, when some kindly soul put him down for the Lower Fourth effort prize because he’d pulled up from bottom to 27th or something.

    So, Speech Day came along and I could see Chuff Rodgers down there fairly bursting with excitement as his turn came along. He had a woman with a  baby sitting next to him and this baby seemed to take a special fancy to Chuff. He kept grasping at his finger and making goo-goo noises and all that sort of thing. And then, just as Chuff’s big moment was coming along, this baby gave the most beautiful smile and was dramatically sick all over his best suit—and over himself and over the mother. Oh, she, poor woman, was beside herself with shame ! I thought Chuff would be too-but not Chuff..  He pulled out the strangest-looking handkerchief I have ever seen, wiped the mother down, wiped the baby down, tried to wipe himself down, and then, ONLY THEN, when he’d settled everything to  his own satisfaction, he went up for his one and only prize.

FIRST THINGS FIRST, YOU SEE, and that is what I call a Bamfylde success. And that is why I’ll never forget Chuff  Rodgers but I’ve completely forgotten Petherbridge."

                                            *        

Well Herries obviously did not forget Petherbridge, but I think his point was clear. He remembers Petherbridge only in connection to Rodgers. And we know why these two chaps just popped into his head after 20 years. They were always there!

My interpretation of what Herries was trying to say involves something very deep.  He was talking about different types of intelligence.

Petherbridge had the type we usually think about—the type connected with educational and professional success. But Chuff Rodgers had another kind of intelligence, which in my view (and I think Herries’ as well) was ever so much more important and impressive. Chuff Rodgers seemed to have
          
                               WISDOM

 

......the wisdom to know that "first things first..."

One step at a time...... I believe in that!

 

Love Susan