Friday, January 18, 2008

Hmmm ... wisdom from unexpected places ...

I KNOW even admitting to having watched Benny Hill's tv programme is not regarded as politically correct ... but I have to admit to not only watching the show, but actually enjoying it. Now, before ASSUMING something - I will say it was never the appearance of bikini clad models in the skits that drew me to the programme - I loved the slap-stick comedy that Hill was so clearly a master of. The interchange between he and the little guy who appeared as his foil cracked me up ... and his spoken bits often left me laughing while also reflecting on the profound truth he offered through the comic shtick ... afterall, isn't that the strength of comedy???

But what I remember MOST of Benny Hill was the sketch that had him offer a profoundly TRUE musing on the danger of ASSUMING too much ...

Benny would, in character come out and announce - "one should NEVER ASSUME." He would then write the word A-S-S-U-M-E, on the black board behind him as he continued:

"For when one assumes, one makes an ASS out of U and of ME !!!" As he spoke he circled the "ASS" the "U" and the "ME" in turn ...

Over and over in life the truth of Hill's statement has rang true ...

The other night Ms H and I were talking about what happens when you ASSUME something and when you engage in GOSSIP, and we began talking about how those two concepts often fall hand in hand ... Ms H fell silent for a moment then observed:

"Do you realize both words have 'ss' in them?"

"Um, yeah ..." said I, "what does that mean?"

"ss ss ss ss is the sound snakes make ..." she said with a sly smile, "and people who ASSUME and gossip are snakes ..."

"Hhhhmmmm," was all I could offer ... there's some truth there too.

Sometimes wisdom breaks through from the most unlikely of places ...

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