The only Gospel, credit Mary Blindflowers©
Mariano Grossi©
When a teacher changes his mind
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[a] and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents,[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Matthew 25:14-30
After five years with fluctuating results in his school route, Richard took his decision; deeply convinced in the meaning of the evangelic parable about the talents, with reference to the aptitude of every man to reach his targets despite the hurdles society puts in front of him, he realized that only classical items represented his true skill and despite his relatives’ threats and advice about the poor destiny such an out-of-date degree could determine for his future, he signed up for that course.
He entered his Oxford University’s Classics’ Department as a fresher deeply resolute in his target in order he never could let down his parents’ expectations.
One day, looking at the bulletin board of Classical Philology Institute, he noticed a seminar of Papyrology which can be inserted in the curriculum of every student and spoke about it to Marie, a colleague of his. They both, very enthusiastic, approached Prof. Printmaster who held that course and asked him to take place to it. The teacher turned off their fervour with a few words: “It is too early. I am glad to see you so active, but it is better to put off your attendance to next year, when you have overcome first year’s exams!” They greeted him and, very fond of that subject, started minding the appointment he had given them.
That year was through and Richard and Marie signed up for the seminar and, unaccountably, when the first class was held, they noticed the presence of Guenda, a beautiful fair-haired colleague of theirs, just fresher as them one year before. Very surprised, at the end of the lesson, Richard asked the teacher the reason why a junior could attend the course once denied to them. Unabashedly Prof. Printmaster answered him: “I have changed my mind! You know that during a year one can learn lots of things!”
Guenda became a top level student at Oxford, no doubt about her skills, but Richard, looking at her hair, at her boy-friend, a very well known attorney in the city, very quickly passed to a brilliant political career, started believing that sometimes physical qualities and kinship can speed up teachers’ mind changes.
But Richard’s considerations were not a unicum with reference to that item; more than a teacher strangely, used to back his female colleagues and Joseph, a friend of his, confirmed his assumptions some years later, when they, once graduated, met again and started telling their individual choices as for their jobs.
Joseph told him that when he performed his internship before the final exam as a researcher at the same University, there were two applicants, Linda and he; after a one year long training the teacher ensured them he would evaluate objectively their curricula in order to choose the winner (there was only one place as a researcher to assign). It goes without saying that Linda was chosen. No problem about that, unless he had discovered some months later that Linda and his teacher had become lovers.
Female power and teachers’ craving for it could actually represent a hard slowdown to talents’ ripening.
(This story, although very likely at a University, is completely invented and fruit of his author’s fantasy).
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DESTRUTTURALISMO Punti salienti
