I recently overheard two very interesting conversations. The first was between two college friends meeting after a few years, the other between a playwright and a director.

The Educated
The two friends met each other on the tarmac as they got out of a flight. After the usual hi & hellos, friend one made a polite offer “hey, do you need a lift”. Friend two after demurring a bit says, “No, it will take you too far out of the way”. “Don’t worry yar, I have a driver”. Friend two is obviously impressed, “wow, I did not know you have gone this far up the organisation” and soon he says, “Yes” and proceeds to get more intimate in the conversation “how is your wife? Long time no see!” he says, and our friend one says, “Don’t worry you will meet her, she doubles up as my driver!”

I often find myself counseling young couples and could not but reflect on the nature of relationship between our friend and his driver / wife!!

And the uneducated
A well known theatre director was talking about a house had just built. It was a very dear project of his and apart from using good architects to help him set out the design of the house, the director was using Laurie Bakers building technique. The house was situated in a plot a little distance from the town, an old goat-herd was in the habit of grazing his goats in the area. He evinced great interest in how the house was being built.

When it was almost complete, the director was being plagued by his friends and relatives, “Are you not going to cement plaster the house! Why are you not making it pakka! What a waste of effort and money, all these fancy ideas of design” etc. etc. One day the goat herd approached the director and enquired, “Are you going to cement plaster the house? If you do it will become flat. Paint a while band instead at lintel height and leave the bricks exposed. It will lift the aesthetics of the house”.

“That is exactly the principle behind the Greek chorus of a play. It uses the simple device of parallel lines to define the upward movement of a play! This is exactly, what made me feel sad and happy simultaneously. Such a simple appreciation of beauty and aesthetics from people will call uneducated and such gross perception of value from the ones with college degrees!

<< Back