(0634) Morning all. Going to devote this entire post to a minor matter which might have theatened us, had it gone on. It’s also a micro-focus on what is happening between Reform and non-Reform right at this moment. Long experience teaches all of us where that ends up.
Keeping eyes on the main objective
Decades ago, as a young teacher in charge of a year level camp of children and staff, we had the chn ready and waiting half an hour before the sailing of a riverboat … we were first in the queue, the ladies looking after the needs of this or that child.
Riverboat captains were not noted for their bonhomie, their chatty manner … but nor was I. We were first because I wanted the kids on deck, with views, rather than down below in the “hold”. The captain greeted us, no naval cap, just a brimmed hat, hisself swarthy, feisty, gruff … he then proceeded to march us down into the bilges, to fill up the space … the latecomers would have the deck.
I was not having that and refused. No one need teach me, as a sailor, that the captain’s word is law and yet I was also representing these chn and staff, on behalf of the parents. I tried niceness, I tried reason … that “someone” had to be on deck, why not the earlybirds?
Challenge to his authority, a shock to all, he did the face to face eyeballing, our ladies stayed shtum, my natural instinct is always attack, quick knee to the groin and overboard with him but that was not going to work here … he did have a responsibility to the entire party from various schools, plus public, I’d already thought he might order us off so I was going to say no, don’t order them off, order me, I’m the insubordinate bstd, I’d wait onshore, the ladies would attend to our chn. Plus we were not yet “at sea”, so that law does not apply until we cast off.
Anyway, we did go downstairs but to the first level, he rotated who was on deck during the cruise and made sure we had our fair share, good result, but I awaited trouble once we got back … summoned to the franchise’s main office, ladies and chn eating afternoon tea not far away.
He was expecting a firebrand but I saw that he too was strong and ran a good tourist operation, he opened with soothing words, I said let’s get to the nitty gritty … I disobeyed a captain on water.
“Well yes.”
It turned out fine. Captain was already cruising with the next batch, I asked the boss here to convey my apologies to him for the earlier unpleasantness. Anyway, that was that.
Fun with creole
With a dour Yorkshire father and feisty Irish mother … I’m still wondering WTH they were thinking back in the day. Never mind. And yet I’m surrounded by Scots these days, useful to have by you in a fight … they’re feisty plus, whereas the English lad is a brick wall, with violence if necessary.
There’s another factor which came out during Chuckles’s time here. We can run an adversarial, parliamentary or academic style of pitched insult and counter-insult, steeped in rhetoric … or we can run a business model of everyone in a room, laying info on the table, which all present can see and we sort out if it can take us any forrarder or not … at present. But the prime directive, the imperative, is to at least get that info on the table, minus the peripherals.
Personal feelings, umbrage, whatever, have no place in this if we’re going to be a stopping off place for readers to see if there’s anything new. We are not a forum … no way, I’ve neither the time nor the inclination.
I’m quite interested in Dearieme’s stance: “English fits exactly the definition of a creole,” plus in Steve’s reply in comments (you can always find it at https://unherdablecats.com/2026/01/31/saturday-3-onwards-3/). With my landlord’s hat on, I want that discussion archived, preserved … it was interesting.
At the same time, now representing both our protagonists and readers, let’s keep the eye on that particular ball, eh? Are we any forrarder on “creole”? I’d say we are … and in my eyes, that’s a win for us as a whole. …/END.