The Brentwood Effect

My Mom and Mauritz bought me 'Hitchhiker' for my birthday on the 1 February.

It's the biography of Douglas Adams: Genius. Legend. Notorious misser of deadlines.

I was fortunate enough to meet him in London at a book signing many, many years ago. Told him I was a hitchhiker. My bum was shaking. He was a gentle, tall, solid man with a broad friendly welcoming grin. He asked me whereabouts I had hiked from ... I said "Cape Town". He said, "you're a far way from home". He signed my 3 copies of Mostly Harmless. I told him that I had my towel and my peanuts. He laughed and shook my hand.

It was magnificent.

Almost 10 years later (he died, tragically, on 11 May 2001), I am deep into his life story, thanks to the book. One of the gems so far include his time at Brentwood. A boarding college he attended that afforded him the opportunity to write. A professor at the time awarded him 10/10 for a literary piece he delivered ... commenting that it was "technically and creativity brilliant." The man had never granted full marks before. And, I don't believe, did so again.

Douglas is documented in later interviews saying that when he is deep in writers block (he always performed, effortlessly, in teams and terribly solo), he never reached for the fact that he was a worldwide bestselling author with many awards .. but rather the fact that Mr Halford gave him full marks at Brentwood because 'at some fundamental level I have what it takes."

I love this. A lot.

The other day I attended my son's parent / teacher meeting. During the session the mom's and dad's got an opportunity to look through the work books of their children. The masterpiece above was created by Jagger Bryce who is now 7 years old and in Mr Oxley's class, Grade 1.

After a day like I had, having to negotiate, persuade, convince, calm, instruct, listen, apologies, nurture, motivate and delegate, I am given strength. Not from my position or sense of security. Or my boss.

But by the fact that Jagger wrote 'dad' in cobalt blue at the tippy top right hand corner of this magnificent expression. He show's immense restraint as an artist. I mean ... someone else would've used Helvetica Bold 96pt. I'm sure of it.

But not Jagger.

He's cool.

His art makes me get up and go to work. He is my Mr Halford.