Thursday 13 January 2011

A Lesson Never Properly Learned.........

Hullo ma wee blog,

I don't know what triggered the query but I remember it clearly. One of those moments where a child's question comes completely without warning out of left field to an adult who is unfailingly expected to know the answer. My father sat opposite in his armchair quietly reading, I was reading but not reading, mulling around something from a school-day or from an overheard adult conversation. I gained his attention in that childlike way, a two toned notification that something deep and meaningful is about to come.

"Da-ad?"

"Aye son."

"What's the difference between knowledge and wisdom?"

Not a flicker of surprise. No question in return about what had made a boy of six or seven ask such a thing. He put the book, open pages down, on the thigh of his crossed legs and looked at the hearth of the fire for a second.

"Well, knowledge comes from learning. It's understanding things, knowing what things mean, how they work or maybe what should be done."

My eyebrows crooked together in concentration as I took it in.

"So what's wisdom then?" A serious voice.

He leaned back in the comfort of his chair and rested his head on palms linked behind his neck. He now looked up at the ceiling momentarily and exhaled softly through pursed lips before running one hand back through his hair.

"Well, if knowledge is knowing what should be done, then wisdom would actually be doing it."

"Ah. Right."

Roll forward forty-odd years and it's simple and not so simple at the same time. Sometimes I'm knowledgeable, sometimes I'm wise.

Sometimes, I'm just a prat!

{Sorry Love}

Jings!

See you later.

Listening to The Jam,  'That's Entertainment'

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Haha, methinks there's a story there. Beautifully written as always buddy.

Alistair said...

Cheers Jono,

And I'm admitting nothing........

Rebecca S. said...

That was a lovely little scene you wrote there. It really made me smile. Cheers!

Alistair said...

Hi Rebecca - me too!

Dad said...

Well Alistair, what a 'braw' blog this has turned out to be, eh? My first visit back to your (or anyone's) blog and I'm treated to a cracking tale of an exchange between a father and his son. As you know, these are heart warming tales after my own heart; nicely written.

I just wanted to say hello and thank you. Thank you for hanging on until I got "back".

ex-DOAB
ps - I am LOVING The Jam's That's Entertainment!!!

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed reading this. It made me smile and think of how I might be able to answer that question.
Also, I love that song!

Alistair said...

Dad - Thanks, high praise indeed. Glad you enjoyed it. I must admit I thought you might be gone permanently until I saw the new blog account set up. I always completely enjoyed 'Dad on a bike' as my very last comment there testified. I'm looking forward to what comes from 'My Dentist Loves Me' and would recommend anyone reading this to visit.

Cheers DBS.

Andrea - Hullo you and thanks too. Funny how sometimes you know what the right thing is to do or say but choose not to, caught up in an argument and a 'bugger you' frame of mind.

lom said...

tut, men! I take it it is something you did

Alistair said...

Now lom, how could you even THINK that about little old me???

lol.

The Scudder said...

Who's been a naughty boy then ??

Alistair said...

Scudder - I refer you to my {Jono} answer above......

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