Opa Johan Comments On My Writing

Opa Johan Comments On My Writing

“When Mr Chew speaks of “Hail To Freedom Of Speech”, then be sure it is a warning to be prepared to read something you don’t like, something that’s counter the public’s conviction, opinion, your belief. So don’t read it. Ha, ha.”

“When he talks about “you think you’re a genius“ he has the story of the “scholar and the boatman in mind.” *

*There is a story of Rumi about a scholar who was reading a book when he crossed the river with a boat.

“Have you ever read Omar Khayam’s book?” asked the scholar to the boatman.

“No, Sir, I cannot read nor write.”

“Well, than you waste the time of your life, because you cannot enjoy the great pieces of Omar Khayam, Shakespeare or Goethe.” said the scholar.

Soon the weather was getting cloudy and the wind blew very hard.

“Can you swim?” asked the boatman.

“No,” he said. “Well, your knowledge, status and life are useless because there will be a storm.”

The illiterate boatman was safe because he could swim.

May 2012