File Under C

I had a Filofax in the 1980's.

I feel better for admitting that fact now.

At the time it was the thing to have and be seen with. A very useful business and lifestyle tool.

Try to describe the concept of a Filofax to anyone under the age of 30 and they will give you an incredulous stare as if questioning your sanity and the language in which you are speaking. Go through the same conversation now in your own mind and horror upon horror you realise that they were right.

Imagine a diary, reminder and memo format where you have to physically write things down with no reliance on anything remotely electronic.

There were some distinct advantages such as never running a risk of a low battery and if left on a bus or in a taxi no one bothered to wander off with it.

It was a bulky thing, mine had a real leather cover and a push stud catch often bulging under the pressure of content.

There was a certain thrill in going into the stationers, usually WH Smiths, to choose another ream of useful pages for diary entries, things to do, a list of dates and space to write events and days of the week for recording what you had to do. In fact it was just really a glorified diary after all.

In a bid to personalise my Filofax I clipped in a memorable quote that appealed to me but would, I feel also give anyone opening up the page the perception that I was cultured, sophisticated, sensitive and highly intelligent.

The quote was "The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything".

It was not attributed to anyone in particular and I assumed it to be something invented by Reader's Digest or those anonymous individuals who compose the wording to go in Christmas crackers and seasonal greetings cards.

It now appears that at least three people claim to have initiated those  words of great wisdom.
One is Edward James Phelps whom you may like to look up in Wikipedia as I am a bit busy at the moment , another being Bishop W C McGee and even Giacomo Casanova.

I can see why there have been multiple claims of authorship because it is an admittance of the infallability of man but yet encouraging people to just have a go and not to fear failure or the possibility of ridicule.

In today's Health and Safety and Nanny State no one sets off without a full risk assessment and therefore there is no prospect of making a mistake or exposing yourself to a law suit.

I find that a disappointing consequence of modern day life. Even young children are not encouraged to do something in which they may fail. Perhaps the worst advice ever given to me as a young child was in a sports lesson at school when the PE teacher told me to never mind about winning, just have fun.

Stick that in your Filofax under the useless wisdom section.