When 12 [75 years ago] I was out working as a delivery boy for the local grocer. Then I got caught delivering tomatoes by the man from the school board and my parents were taken to court. The summons said I had been working under age “delivering vegetables”. My solicitor pointed out that tomatoes were a fruit and the case was dismissed. I still use the same firm of solicitors today.
Trans mare ducatur catus, mau vociferatur.
I don’t know about hierarchy. I think it’s a psychological thing. But then, why should I behave differently to the cleaning lady in the house to Mr Arnault? We are all humans.
‘It is demonstrably true,’ he would say, ‘that things cannot be other than as they are. For, everything having been made for a purpose, everything is necessarily for the best purpose. Observe how noses were made to bear spectacles, and so we have spectacles. Legs are evidently devised to be clad in breeches, and breeches we have. Stones were formed in such a way that they can be hewn and made into castles, and so His Lordship has a very beautiful castle. The greatest baron in the province must be the best lodged. And since pigs were made to be eaten, we eat pork all year round. Consequently, those who have argued that all is well have been talking nonsense. They should have said that all is for the best.’
I am very pleased that you find joy with the piano. This and carpentry are in my opinion for your age the best pursuits, better even than school. Because those are things which fit a young person such as you very well. Mainly play the things on the piano which please you, even if the teacher does not assign those. That is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don’t notice that the time passes.