Posted on 04/19/2003 7:53:52 AM PDT by Jakarta ex-pat
When Winston Churchill was a boy, his boarding school teacher said of the future British prime minister in a report card: ``Constantly late for school, losing his books and papers and various other things into which I need not enter: He is so regular in his irregularity that I really don't know what to do.''
A schoolteacher's complaint like this in a report card would cause any parent immeasurable distress.
Inevitably, young Churchill's grades were the worst in his class. This seems incredible, given that he went on to become one of the 20th century's greatest statesmen.
Saddened, his mother wrote to him: ``I have much to say to you, I am afraid not of a pleasant nature. ... Dearest Winston you make us very unhappy-I had built up such hopes around you and felt so proud of you and now all is gone ... . I will say no more now but Winston you are old enough to see how serious this is to you ... .''
A mischievous book titled ``Could Do Better,'' published in Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd., offers a collection of report-card comments on the school days of famous people. According to the book, when John Lennon of Beatles fame was in high school, his teacher said of him: ``Certainly on the road to failure ... hopeless ... rather a clown in class ... wasting other pupils' time.''
An elementary school teacher described future novelist Ken Follett as ``inclined to be troublesome and disobedient.''
When future movie director Woody Allen was about to be expelled from university, his professor wrote in an assessment: ``While cautiously holding out some hope of re-admission, (I have) suggested he seek counselling for his inability to take life seriously.''
For many people, these examples must come as heartening episodes because they make it clear that those who succeed in the world are not necessarily the ones who do well in school.
Of course, some people do well both in the world and in school. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher offers a good example. In a report card, one of her teachers wrote: ``Margaret has worked steadily and well throughout the term. She has definite ability, and her cheeriness makes her a very pleasant member of her form. ... Margaret is ambitious and deserves to do well.''
But the story of Churchill is clearly more telling than that of Thatcher with regard to the ``unfathomableness of life.''
As for my school report cards; let's not go there!
And true to his teacher's prediction, he was a failure.
The professor got the counselling thing right: Who knows, had Allen seen a good shrink early-on, our culture might be less depraved today.
Certainly mixed thoughts on that one.
Just bought "Let it Be" DVD and noticed that without question Yoko Oh No caused the break up if the Beatles. (she doesn't say a word by the way, but the malice in her eyes gives it all away).
I wouldn't give John such a hard epitaph. Yes, he made mistakes. In fact my grandfather blamed the Beatles for the fall of British society.
I believe them to be the best musical group ever to come out of Britain, and possibly anywhere.
Keep smiling,
Philip.
Based on the level of pinheadedness I demonstrated during my schooling, I may very well be Supreme Overlord of the Universe and not even realize it.
One of FDR's political opponent's claimed (only slightly tongue in cheek) that the New Deal was FDR's revenge at schoolmates and academics who mocked him at boarding school and Harvard.
I believe them to have done more damage to music and culture and freedom than any "musical" group to have come out of anywhere.
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