To work or to degree then work – which will take you further in life?

A very close business associate who is in his sixties once complained privately to me on an out station drive to another plantation – he had every reason to believe his son is a first class bloody fool. When I asked why. This man went on to elaborate. He could not possibly understand how his son was ever going to recoup the cost of pursuing an expensive degree overseas. My friend went on to lament…after all it’s not even a renowned university…just one of those unknown ones that no one has ever heard of were his words or to that effect.

My friend went on to add…Furthermore, it is in a discipline that would add very little value of increasing his prospects of seeking employment. This man went on to confide to me, he was quite sure whatever his son could squeeze into his head would all amount to a great nothing when he returned home to work.

He kept on murmuring under his breath, ‘that fool of a son of mine….fool…fool.’

Somewhere along the drive. I asked my troubled friend. Why is it whenever we visit a plantation together. He has to always insist on bringing along his old double barrel antique shotgun. I went on to share with him, it’s not even a pump action that can spit out lead at a decent rate when one considers even criminal syndicates these days are carrying far better shotguns with more fire power to rob banks. I went to add rather dismissively, it’s just an unnecessary hassle that hardly adds any value to our trip. It’s dead weight. Useless! Besides most of the plantations we visit already have armed guards. So what the hell are you trying to prove!

My friend became visibly agitated and was quite forceful in informing me curtly, it’s none of my business what he decides to lug around when he goes on his field trips….he went on to add, besides he feels safer walking around the desolation of the field armed. I jested with him by pointing out, it’s not even loaded most of the time. He replied, that’s hardly the point. What matters is carrying this old and useless blunderbuss around makes me feel secured and assured, it’s able to give me the sense of confidence, that allows me to dedicate myself to the task at hand whenever I am out in the field – without ever having to be distracted by the fear of getting held up by brigands….and just when the conversation was about to get very ugly.

I laughed and apologized for winding him up and after a very long pause my friend laughed aloud as well. After a while, he settled into deep reflection and when we arrived, he turned to me and said,

‘Maybe you have a point….maybe my son is not such a fool after all.’

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‘The mind will always be a very curious organ like that other unmentionable body part between your torso and limbs. As where you believe power resides, is where power will actually reside in.

By the same vein, if you are internally persuaded a thing is worthless and useless, then it too will actually be quite useless and worthless to you and can never ever acquire the agency of power. Never.

Thru the power of your mind in the shape and form of your beliefs that you choose to buy into or chuck out – you can either infuse a thing with power or disable it so completely whether you have it with you through out the long journey of life can either be a matter of profound indifference or importance.

Even should you happen to believe that a degree from a tin pot university holds the skeleton key to the door where power resides in, then even that as improbable as it seems will be so very powerful to the extent of being able to transform your life for the better.

But whatever your decision. It must be yours and yours alone to make and not to just listen blindly to some funny man who you saw on TV telling you to stand up, turn right, sit down. Because if one goes down that road of perdition, then the next thing you will end doing is putting up your hands for urination breaks – that also just happens to be the only life lesson a degree ever imparts to the perceptive student…the confidence to think independently without fear or favor.’