Back to School

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
I went back to school today. Well that's not completely honest: it was a training course for parish clerks and chairmen.

Still the atmosphere felt familiar; the conference setting; the paper, pens and lecturer; the questions and urge to get as much out of the session as possible.

Fortunately it was an exercise of reassurance on my part although it was evident that this was not necessarily the case for everyone. Although some clerks and chairmen had clearly been in situ for many years, their ignorance of the contents of the Local Government Act 1972 (yes 1972, so no excuses) was shameful. Perhaps it’s a lawyer thing but I do like to get to the bottom of why and how to do something properly and the primary legislation is the first place to look.

Just like school and the workplace, arrogance abounded. Indeed a couple of very pleasant chaps to my right informed me that their councils would continue to operate as to date, disregarding rules on  openness as they believed that they would be unable to function otherwise. My jaw dropped in protest but they clearly dismissed my views as those of a junior secretary completely overlooking the fact that the clerk is the person who advises on law and procedure enabling a Parish Council to operate properly. There again I was female and presumably little accustomed to life away from the kitchen sink. 

Ah yes the conceited superiority of the male counterpart, often an adversary in court who believed his gender alone gave him an inane right to victory or alternatively a client who thought he was paying to tell me what to do rather than to benefit from my advice. These are the people I have forgotten in retirement; pompous and condescending, chauvinsitic and irritating.

Of course not everyone was like that (far from it), but there are occasions when it is good to be reminded of those who were. How blessed I am in retirement not to have to deal with them regularly and how I can now laugh at their inadequacy and at how it could rile me.

Comments

Kathy @ SMART Living 365.com said…
Hi Caree! I'm a big fan of life-long learning too...but isn't it nice to do it on your own terms now? And plus, when it reminds you of why you are happy to be retired now...so much the better. ~Kathy
9 July 2019 at 16:25
Caree Risover said…
Absolutely, especially when it doesn’t come with exams at the end too
11 July 2019 at 07:32
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