Terrific Mentors International

We all remember where we were when some great, often catastrophic, event happened. I was standing at the foot of my sick father’s bed when President Kennedy’s death was broadcast. The Duke of Edinburgh was berating me on board the Royal Yacht Britannia about my ‘owing the Royal Family 120 years back royalties for inventing Brands Essence of Chicken’. 

Your records may become a vital part of dealing with a bully. Keep detailed notes and copies of documents of any requests, responses, confusion or aggression between you and the bully. There may also be some documents or notes of his or her dealings with others - but handle your case first. It is the one you know most about.

Several of my readers have asked me to reprint the poem I wrote in 1974. This fiftieth anniversary of writing it seems a good time to do so. When I publish something, I think of one or two of my readers with whom it might particularly resonate. This year I have one reader in mind. I’m sure the person concerned will identify themself. I do not intend to do so.

It’s not just the weather or the social media or the policing methods in some countries that are making the world a rougher place. Blame Trump by all means but all politicians are inevitably a reflection of the mood of the voter. Blame war as a practice certainly but war is an outcome seeking a better outcome. Blame the failure of religious belief, if you like, but vicars are increasingly politicians canvassing a vote. Blame leaders generally, perhaps, but you and I put them there or, at the very least, we tolerate them.

There is one time you don't want people to walk the talk - when they are angry enough to kill. The murder of a senior insurance executive is shocking; the social media reaction being reported is equally bad. From diplomatic failure at calming extreme views to murder in a New York street is a surprisingly short distance. From personal anger to mob rule is but a social media step away. Did you guess that free speech en masse would precipitate worldwide wars? 

Our old friend Charles Handy has died aged 92. Andrew Hill has written a well-deserved fulsome obituary in the Financial Times. The only things I can add to it are that Charles was, to me and many others, the epitome of a great mentor combined with a practical, decent human being who never let competition deflect his high personal standards.

What do you hear when you listen to good music? You hear tunes, notes high and low, crescendos, decrescendos, capellas, adagios, allegros - there’s a whole book of terminology. What you hear that matters are sounds of inspiration, enchantment, command, love, peace, battle, courage, surrender, enticement, persuasion and all the drives and feelings humankind have been given or have developed for ourselves. “If music be the food of love, play on…” said Shakespeare in an attempt to overwhelm love.

Think back to pre-Covid and remember what ‘a lot of money’ was then. We were still talking about millionaires as the epitome of wealth. Now we talk of billionaires, increasingly of multi-billionaires. International finance today often talks trillions, though many people don’t know how many zeros there are in one. These vast sums of money don’t apply to you and me.

 The first two days of December have brought those of us living in Singapore ‘A brace of Joys’. They are to be relished, reflected on and remembered for a long time. True to its vocation of music, to make life lovable, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the Youth Choir and the Children's Choir gave us GLORIA! to start the season of celebration and light for all who would see better in the world than the daily depressive negative news. To some it is Thanksgiving. To all it is giving thanks. Music and art allow us to express our gratitude.

Everyone is entitled to his or her view about the sanctity of life. For some, life is an opportunity to earn and/or demonstrate the right to a life after death. For others, life is the sole purpose of being born and only memories with the living survive a person’s last breath. For all, the process of life is a wonderful, challenging, beautiful and sometimes horrendous adventure. It is a gift beyond thanks, a prize we are well blessed with. We must treat life decently.