Imagine being 9 again…
And your grammar teacher carries with him a thick splintered stick–worn with the beatings he’d given your classmates just minutes before.
Fear pulses through your veins.
He asks a question.
And every time he turns to your general direction, you fear you’ll be called on to answer. Your instincts tell you that the next brutal whack is going to be painfully cast into your little soft hand.
Such is my recollection of grammar class.
My teacher was from hell. He had a raging temper. Often breaking sticks on the backs and hands of children. From those who didn’t do homework, to those who gave the wrong answer when quized on some rule we just learned.
What angered him most was when one of us forgot to pack the grammar textbook into our heavy school bag. With six periods every day, each with its own exercise and textbook, it was often easy to forget.
Every night, my poor mother packed my bag for me to match the next day’s scheduele.
But that didn’t save me from a beating at the hands of this crazed adult.
He became increasingly ingenious at coming up with ways to hurt us. Sometimes he’d beat the back of our hands, on the knuckles, with the sharp edge of a ruler.
Once, when he left the room for a few moments to pee, his class snitch (otherwise known as the class president) wrote the names of other children who spoke while he was away. I happened to sneeze. And my name made the list.
we were really scared of our teacher who liked to beat up little boys
On his return, the teacher called out the names of the “naughty” children. And one by one…
he squeezed a pen with sharp ridges between their fingers, only stopping when they cried.
When my turn came, I walked to the front with a sense of dread. I vowed not to cry. He took my little hand and squeezed my fingers against the pen’s ridges. I bravely held my tears inside me.
He continued to squeeze until my face turned red. But I held on and refused to cry.
Enraged by my obstinance, he thrust my hand into the desk with force. And laughed at me. Then announced to the class that I had gone red and was about to cry. I walked back to my desk ashamed. Though God knows why. I should have been smirking at my defiance.
He was an asshole, no shit. We were all scared of him.
Rarely was I punished by him, and yet I always dreaded his class.
Anyway, you’re probably wondering what my childhood’s grammar teacher had to do with my blog’s traffic.
Surely, after all these years, I am not still haunted by him.
Is that the reason I write correctly in my blog posts?
It couldn’t have been. He was my Arabic grammar teacher, not English.
When I began this very blog, earlier in the year, I knew that building traffic required one key thing. From my experience with video and article marketing, traffic depends heavily on how well I included related, industry-specific phrases in my posts.
It is this language that the search engines can read. It is the words included in your titles, the text of your posts, articles, and video descriptions that would be ranked in the search engines. They are the same (and similar) words people will search when looking for education about network marketing.
And since you couldn’t possibly think of all the language or create it all, it has to be dynamic and user-generated.
It has to be included in the comments and responses people leave behind.
If I could somehow encourage a set of readers to leave responses, I would in turn be able to grow my search rankings, traffic, and readership.
I’d done this successfully already with video and articles.
But what is the secret to getting interaction on a large scale with your content? Any content, be it video, article, or blog.
It was another average school day, at age 9, in my over-priced private school in Saudia Arabia. It was grammar class, again.
And once more, I was sitting at my desk silently and fearfully.
The asshole teacher asked a question of the class.
What the question was, I honestly don’t remember. But it was one of those problems that demanded one response or the other.
“Is this the object or the subject of the verb?” or something like that, he asked.
No volunteers. Not surprising. As if anyone wanted to be wrong with this armed and volatile bomb of a teacher in their proximity.
So he picks a…victim–i mean, a student. Seemingly at random. He asks him to answer.
The poor child, gave what he believed to be the correct answer: “The subject, sir?”
“How about you?” demands the teacher impatiently of another student behind him. “What do you think?”
“Umm….the object?” he responded hesitantly.
“Stand up!”
says the teacher.
Next, he moved to the child behind him and asked again. “Subject or object?”
“The object.”
This child answered with a little more confidence.
After all, he agreed with our seated classmate ahead of him.
The teacher moved down the class switfly. Each child following their cue. Each being left to sit. Once in a while, someone would break the pattern, but they mostly agreed with the seated child.
As my turn drew nearer, I was torn.
I didn’t agree with the seated children. I guessed if I gave the answer in my head, I’m as likely as the first kid to be asked to stand.
According to my training with my father, who as you know is a linguist, the correct answer should have been the Subject. I knew the full reasoning behind it too and wondered if I would be given a chance to explain my answer should I be punished for an incorrect response.
Should I give what I truly believed in my heart and soul was the correct answer? Should I risk being one of the odd few standing?
I had to make a decision. It was my turn.
“It’s the subject, sir.”
All the while, inside, I hoped against hope that by some weird and twisted luck I would be the exception and get to remain seated with the majority who gave the other answer.
Such was my primal instinct to be included.
No such luck.
“Stand up!” He said angrily.
I was immediately filled with regret. I began to doubt I made the right choice.
Once everyone in the class gave their response, there was a handful of us standing. My legs trembled in fear. As I knew the inevitable punishment was about to be dished to a group of us.
But in that inner struggle of mine was a lesson, about human nature, that burns in my memory.
Now, if you can see where this is going, then good on you, you’re a smart cookie 
What does this insight into human nature teach us?
How can it help you increase the interaction people have with your content?
And how does it grow the search engine traffic your videos and articles receive?
Simply put, it’s that humans want to feel included. They don’t want to be outcast by being different or being wrong.
But an opinion voiced first is not necessarily the correct way to feel about something. It’s only a testament to the braveness of the individual who dares to say what they really believe.
A funny thing happens when someone does that…
They immediately acquire a leadership quality. Bravery. And it begs followers.
Most people are afraid to take a stand one way or the other. As soon as they see a brave individual or a large group of people following one, they follow too. Surely, you’ve heard the saying
“strength in numbers”
Leaders are brave. The mob just follow and agree with the mob.
The earliest group of opinion-givers are the ones who steer the rest.
Your article or video are a representation of your opinion. It is an expression of leadership. It is your honest and possibly controversial, possibly wrong opinion.
With your articles, you already know that no one can be FORCED to respond or comment.
Yet, voicing your opinion you are displaying braveness that others envy and admire.
By providing the content, you are the child who dares to answer first. A self-appointed leader, brave, because you voluntarily take a stand without following.
But people will not necessarily follow you.
They have only one source of feedback–your expression. They may not trust you. What about the alternative?
Most people will not follow the leader. They actually follow the herd. So you don’t want to JUST be a leader. You have to create a herd or a following.
Once you get that first comment agreeing with you, the herd will create itself.
As more people arrive on your page to view your opinion, they will also see a number of people who agree with you. So will they.
They will feel reinforced by joining the herd, because we believe that being included is less painful than making a mistake.
Social proof. That’s what it’s called in marketing, when a majority makes one choice against another.
People who are unsure will refuse to say anything out of fear of being outcast. They may wait to see what others say first.
And this is why, often your articles and videos go uncommented for a long time. There are no comments to follow. The act of being first to comment is intimidating in itself.
Even here, in this very post, when you leave a comment (whether in agreement or disagreement), you’re helping steer the herd. In a sense there is a form of bravery and leadership in it. On the other hand, hundreds if not thousands of others will read this post but not respond because they have not yet formed an opinion.
Now there is no shame in this.
As you saw in my story, even I was tempted by my human nature to go against my belief and join the herd. I even observed to see which way I should answer. Everyone does it to an extent. It’s a primal instinct, no matter how we try to deny it.
Speaking with authority and conviction challenges your readers and viewers. They fear being wrong. And only those who strongly oppose you will.
Knowing this about your fellow humans though, is powerful.
You might have guessed by now what the right answer to my teacher’s question was…
Once he was done asking everyone in the class, he announced with a smirk, “All of you sitting got it wrong. Put your hands out and prepare to be beaten!”
I breathed a sigh of relief and saw looks of horror on the faces of those seated. Then I flinched as they were beaten and bursting into tears. He rained down on their hands and arms with his stick.
What a sadistic prick!
Sadistic as he was, he was testing us. He knew that only those completely convinced of their answer will give the correct one. He was separating the fickle from the real.
That day, in my grammar classroom, the herd was slaughtered. And it was a lesson, I never forgot.
Wow, Jim, I had no idea corporal punishment still existed. And sticking a pen between kids’ fingers? That’s army-style torture right there.
But heck, situations like that really shape character: either you join the herd and try to be just another one or you stick to your believes and defy the ‘establishment’ – and that’s how leaders are born.
But the biggest lesson when it comes to internet traffic is actually the social proof: the more you instigate your readers to join the discussion, the more SEARCH ENGINE value it has, and the better your content will rank.
That’s why blogs are more than just a personal article directory: they should be the center of a community of readers, and blog owners have to see each visitor as a participating member of it. That’s how you grow organic traffic.
Leo
Hi Jim.
I always like reading you posts… at first i was shocked by your choice of photo.. but i knew that what you write is always valuable.. so i continued. I am glad that I did. I like being part of your heard and when I need a reference I will always turn to your blog… I am also always amazed at how you manage to turn a terrible experience into something that can still be worthwhile.
One thing is for sure if you teacher had a blog.. umm he’d have no regular traffic and those who left comments would slap him silly!
@Leo thank you for being the brave one who commented first
and @Rebecca for being second
I was shocked too to learn that the United States still allows it! This style of punishment is possibly outdated, i don’t knowhow the school system operates in saudia now.
@Rebecca i’m glad you didn’t let the picture deter you from learning the lesson here. i would hate to think i got beaten for nothing hehe it is a funny choice of picture though and i’m glad you voiced your opinion about it, because now you’ve made it ok for others to disagree with my choice and to follow you
i love my blog readers
Jim
hi jim,
great inspiring network marketing story, i know where i stand now.
i hate intimidating teachers as well.
at 1st i didn’t understand how u were going to fit that story title
into the story but at the end i finally get it.
its very hard to be brave to go against what everyone elses oppionion.
great story
ha ha.. actually when I was reading your post, there was no comments on it.. BUT when I submitted.. Leo “beat” me to it :0
@Rebecca,
I was only a minute faster… And that’s surprising, because as a guy, I probably spent more time admiring that initial picture than you did..!
@Jim,
Props for how you automatically subscribe commenters to receive emails about new comments. Highly effective! Care to share which plugin you’re using?
Jim, I love how you are coming out of your shell more and more.
Human behaviour is a strange thing. I’m reminded of Milgram and Zimbardo’s experiments, terrifying in how they reveal what people will do in order to ‘fit in’, either with the crowd, or authority, or even just what they believe is expected in a given situation.
You stand proud as someone who wasn’t influenced by either.
Susan
@Leo the plugin is called “subscribe to comments“. just download it from there. I’ve actually made a modifcation to its behaviour that forces it to tick the box by default. I forget if i’ve upgraded it since and perhaps even overwrote my changes.
@Susan i think i remember the experiment you’re talking about…was it the one where the students were told to administer shocks to an actor (unknown to the student) when they answered incorrectly? Then the actor appears to be dying and the student is assured that the experiment is government sponsored and there will be no reprocussions…and the student administers the fatal shock. Is that the one? or is it something else?
Hi Jim, The only reason I got past your lead photo is I know your rep for being outrageous, and a damn good marketer. Thanks for the good lesson.
I read a psychology experiment on this. 30 volunteers applied to do a test. Colors were shown and the class all responded aloud what color they saw. 29 volunteers were instructed before the test that when the color black was shown, they were to say “white”. The 30th was thrust into the position you describe above. BY FAR THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THOSE ‘NOT IN THE KNOW’ SAID “WHITE”, demonstrating the herd mentality.
Let not one of us who has read this blog ever fall into that category again!
Best regards,
David
Hi Jim
Yeah, Milgram’s experiment focused on how people will do stuff they woudn’t normally do if the person telling them to do it is an ‘authority’ figure. Guy in a white coat – go figure.
Zimbardo’s experiment had folks assigned either as prisoners or guards in a mock prison situation. Had to be halted after only a few days.
I studied psychology a few years back and found it truly fascinating. Still do, which is just as well as it seems I’m studying it all over again as part of my Masters degree? Hmm. Psychology and government policies. Interesting mix, lol.
Btw, thanks for the reference to the comment plugin. Off to download it now. See, we come for one piece of value and get extras thrown in for free!
Susan
Hi Jim,
Aside from being an excellent article, (well written, interesting and thought provoking) this is a great example of a headline that pulls in readers!
You certainly got my attention, but more importantly, once you pull your reader in, you don’t disappoint. The content really does deliver what your headline promises.
Boel
Belief is a funny thing, many people follow others beliefs, for fear of making mistakes or being wrong. Making mistakes is what builds belief and character.
Enjoyed your story, message as always…
Howdy Jim,
Great article and it explains why you speak so well in front of a crowd .. LOL….
Awesome headline and it is well worth the read…. We still need to have a chat soon.
Have a wonderful day.
You know Jim,
I was swatted with a “board of education” a couple times in my early years at school. I believe it was a good thing (believe it or not, I straight’nd up quickly); I was acting out in an unacceptable manor. Fear of authority is not such a bad thing. But there has to be limits. Your teacher was way out of bounds; mine was not. The disrespect for authority figures in this country is just a precurser to complete anarchy.
Be “in the world but not of the world” is a great phrase. Sometimes the herd should be wiped out if it won’t let a “good” leader lead it. Man that sounds bad in a way (weaklings kind of way anyway; notice how the best players get voted out first in ‘survivor’ the tv show, and all that’s left are the losers).
I wonder if you really have to be a slime ball to get people to follow you? I bet there is a balance there somewhere between withholding the truth and completely speaking your mind and then losing the crowd; even if what you’re saying is totally correct.
anyway, love you jim
Hi Jim,
very hot!! and clever marketing with the pic at the beginning of the story – thats why I read the story.. thanks a lot for all the value in the story and content as always. Keep smiling.
Firstly, I like your new profile pic.
Rosanna (South Africa)
(p.s.)Corporal punishment is banned here and in fact currently have a big court case going on with a mom who has laid criminal charges against final year school students who beat her son in their final year initiation program. Lots of conflicting arguments going on about it!! I personally take off my hat to the mom who stood up against an institution (the school) who states that its tradition and done every year!! but feel sorry for the student who has now had to leave the school for safety reasons. Society!!!
Haha, jim I LOVE that pic! I remember the story as well… Great post bro! You are a master
@Boel thank you, that’s very kind of you to say. i’m glad you enjoyed the article.
@Bruce absolutely, we are all inclined to try to comply though and fall into line. it’s only by conscious effort that we challenge what we take for granted as true.
@Benjamin i speak well in front of a crowd because my grammar teacher put the fear of god in me? lol yah bro, we gotta talk about that mobile application i do have a potential problem with IP rights i’ll bring you up to speed when we talk on skype.
@james leadership has its qualities. but i don’t think slime ball is one of them–it just so happens that some people abuse their abilities to lead by doing sometimes immoral things. i think there is place for political correctness but when your reality is stronger than those around you, you magically draw people into your reality. so don’t be afraid to go against the crowd and be an individual!
@Rosanna i’m happy you appreciated the picture lol i think good on south africa for banning corporal punishment. it’s never productive for the child and they build an immunity to it and then many of them go on to beat other children including their own! i’ve seen many examples of this.
David dude, i knew the part you would like most was the picture haha are you at your Carbon Copy Pro conference with Greg and co? say hi will ya
Hi Jim, where the heck did you go to school? (If your post mentioned the locale, I must’ve missed it.) Man how times have changed. I know a few people who teach in The Bronx who are literally verbally abused by derlict “students” and they can little or nothing about it. If a teacher even looks at a student today cross eyed it becomes a big ordeal for them. Sounds like your teacher wiould be strung up by his toes today if he pulled any of that stuff. Obviously the guy was out of his mind and deserved it. Anyhow, thanx for sharing the experience and for putting a positive spin on it!
Geez…not meanin’ to sound grumpy, but….is it just me or is anyone else finding it kinda tiring to read sooo much copy. I mean, how many spare hours does an average person have in a day with everything going on just in the “day to day” stuff without spending hours rolling through endless salespages spewing all sorts of info….just get to the point!! Is it because it improves your SEO if someone stays on your page longer?
For me anymore, I rarely open anything that isn’t video and that runs more than about 10 minutes long. I just don’t have the time!! I can be listening to it while I’m doing other productive stuff.
Sorry about the rant Jim, cause you’re a brilliant guy from whom I’ve learned alot, but can you start leaving more of your information a video format!? I didn’t even read half of your article.
Brian.
Hey Jim,
I completely understand where you are coming from. I went to a church school in the Bronx, NY, and corporal punishment was doled out on a regular basis. This was back in the 1960′s, before such activities were essentially banned. In our case it was not just one teacher that used this repulsive method of disipline, but anyone on the staff that cared to do so.
As you might imagine you either followed the majority or got defiant and tough very quickly. I received my fair share of beatings. Some deserved, but the majority because the teachers were cowards and unable to deal with kids in a positive and creative way.
You can also draw another conclusion from your experience. We believe, sometimes falsely, that is is safer to go along with the majority. We will go much further to avoid pain than to seek pleasure. That is just human nature. The problem is, as in this case, when the majority is wrong, then the pain we were so desperately trying to avoid, is delivered to us anyway.
The moral of this story is that there are times that you must stick to what you know to be right. Face your fears and believe in yourself. The odds may appear to be overwhelming, because most people will be afraid to agree with what you believe, even though they may feel you to be right. Safety in numbers is not always the safe bet, it may prevent you from becoming the person you were meant to be.
Thanks Jim, as always you hit the nail on the head.
Sincerely,
Bruce A. Bennett
Jim, thanks for sharing your story…it is a great one because of the powerful lessons learned and expressed! Keep the great content, stories and lessons coming!
Much Appreciated!
Gery
Hi Brian,
I am sure it’s not just you. Personally, I find it tiring to read much copy if the story does not hold my interest, and then I am likely to just drop it or skim through to the end quickly.
Jim knows how to write, and while he won’t be able to hold every reader’s interest – (obviously he did not hold yours) he writes compelling enough copy that he has created a large and loyal following that always look forward to his next post.
I for one am often less likely to look at a video than I am to read something, while for you it’s the opposite. In addition to that, it would take me considerably longer to sit through a 10 minute video than it took me to read this blog post.
Just goes to show we’re all different, which is why I am sure it’s a good idea to provide both written copy and video.
Boel
You have my utmost respect. This is a lesson that wont soon fade from my memory. I’m glad you at least started it off with a great pic. Keep up the good work Sensei
Surely, will do. It’s funny “Brian” didn’t have time to read your post, yet he had time to blah about how he didn’t have time… (ironically) while he was spending time writing the comment.
Ha. I love it… keep us glued with your enthralling brain twisters Brian
On a happy note… everyone says hi Jim!
Hey Jim,
Great article. Well written. The headline pulled me right in. I almost didn’t read it. But I forgot who it was coming from. You always deliver. And I truly appreciate it. And you’re absolutely right. Before I decided to leave this comment I looked at what other people were saying. I did it and didn’t even realize it. Human nature is human nature no matter how you try to slice it.
Well said Boel!!
I guess I’m just a video guy! For me it’s more impactful.
I’d like to write more, but….hi ho, hi ho……lol
Awesome article. I was looking for articles to increase blog traffic but your headline really caught my attention ! Curiosity kills the cat and I am one of the dead cats ! LOL !
Will definitely jump in here again. TQ
Great article, Jim! I love the analogy and it is true to form for human behavior. People are terrified of being the first or only one to respond. Of course, you title was wonderful and I had to read the article just to see what the heck you were talking about!
Jim,
Thanks so much for the great lesson from your school days ! That is a powerful observation and I’m most greatful for the knowledge. I ALSO want to thank you for your awesome work (what I’ve seen so far) in PPC Domination <keyword for you hehehe) which I've just recently started watching. I'm very very new to all of this stuff, but certain enough that it IS what I want to do – in fact MUST DO – that I recently quit my job of 11+ yrs. and a career of 25 + yrs. – with ZERO INCOME online /on my own yet – - in order to master the YOU Inc. concept.
This is my first time on your blog and I have NO idea how "accessible" you are, but I have truly thrust myself into a "sink or swim" situation and can use ALL the help I can get. I am as determined as I've ever been in my entire 48yrs to "get it".
BTW – just to be a shit – I scrolled immediately to this box WITHOUT reading a single word from the herd – - so I hope my comment is acceptable – as I feel strongly that I'll be returning often. But this is pure ME without any influence whatsoever from "the herd". I exercise my right of avoidance from time to time.
May all the richest blessings be upon you and yours ! Be well my friend ~
Jeff in Oregon
Wow Jim ???? I see not only that my comment on July 15th was the last time anyone commented on this post, but that THIS POST – dated July 5th seems to be THEE MOST RECENT POST on your blog. I keep hearing from every corner, and all the “gurus” (especially those who speak mostly of blogging, that one should post to their blog at least once or twice a week. Is that ONLY BEFORE you become successful, am I listening to the wrong people, or is there some other reason why it’s been like 10 weeks since your last post ????
VERY curiously,
Jeff
Jeff, thanks for your comments man. i’m sorry that i havent updated the blog with more stories recently.
i’ve been having some health problems that have made it difficult for me to sit for any length of time at the computer and be creative. while i’m dealing with these problems, i’m hopeful that my blog subscribers do not feel that they are being neglected.
but as far as listening to gurus goes, i don’t. most of the “rules of thumb” you see on the net and guru advice is just some hocus pocus nonsense that you’re better off doing the opposite of.
i personally don’t blog for “money”. i wanted this blog to be a place where i post whenever i have a real idea i want to share…whether that happens twice a week or once in three months. this way i can keep quality posts here, not space fillers. i dont like to read bullshit and i’m sure none of you guys do.
i promise to start posting again soon…i really do miss hearing everyone’s comments
all the best,
jim
I remember my grammer school teacher used to hit us on the hands with a ruler. That was in Malta. But Jim, your teacher was brutal. I hope this kind of discipline ends pretty soon.
Great post Jim. You didn’t even need a title on this one, the pic alone had me reading this post!
Nah, but i liked the post.
Oh, and I never had a chance to thank you. I bought PPC Domination a while back, and I loved every minute, except I decided not to use PPC in marketing.
But it didn’t matter. I decided to go the SEO root, and I still watch PPCD to get help with that!
It doesn’t help to much with the technical side of SEO, but it sure as hell helps a bunch with the keyword research and getting inside my target audiences mind, which applies to SEO just as much as it does with PPC.
I got a little off track on this comment, so I apologize for that, but i didn’t know any other way to tell you. So there it is!
-Landon Stewart
Great headline, pic, and story!
I remember the days of having the hands slapped with a ruler; it hurt! I really needed more of it and I think our education system needs more discipline today.
This was inspiring and I hope it has given me new ideas for my blog.
S Wood
Clap clap clap Jim….well written. I really enjoy your honest no B/S posts
Mr. Yaghi, another great story from a good storyteller (You). Being first and by implication “brave”, then being followed by others/many who flock together after the “brave” one may seem right and proper thing to do. But not so imho. Herd instinct and strength in numbers are useful as part of the survival toolkit, like flight or fight impulses. But there are nearly always two sides to every issue.
Sadly, the fact that large numbers of ppl may believe something as truth, does not necessarily mean that it truly comports with Reality. Quite the contrary, mass opinion and beliefs are usually wrong. The kind of consensus thinking that goes around today is not formed by necessarily the best minds, or those with the highest integrity and honor. What passes for the abiding beliefs of the day can very well be short-sighted and fallacious as those in pre-Coperninus/Galileo/Kepler period. Learn from the erroneous thinking on statistics and the fallacy of short tails as expounded by Nassim Taleb, author of Balck Swan. What I am trying to say is the truly informed and knowledgeable minority is most likely correct but outnumbered by the masses who are wrong. So, it is right for you to state what you knew as the correct answer and stand up morally for it. (One man with courage makes a majority – Pres. Andrew Jackson). Sometimes you need moral courage to go along with being a Truth-sayer.
As for those corporal punishment by the sadist teacher, it was as extreme as I have heard. I went through my share of ruler on the hands, and paddle on the butt during grade school and high school, respectively. Former for creating disturbance with other kids in the playground (guilty), the latter for not practicing good enough at football (guilty). Today, the pendulum has swung to the other side. No hitting or anything on the kids. The teacher is always the wrong actor or maybe non-actor. Today, undisciplined kids from irresponsible parents and fearful teachers let these unruly, undisciplined kids run wild. Now, maybe they may get some discipline from the military if they ever entered the military which is all-vol, not like the good old days. But maybe now the military has become more “politically correct too”.
Final thoughts: Stand up for what you believe to be right. Hopefully, one’s upbringing, experience, knowledge, and intuition is such that such honorable and righteous ppl are still in sufficient numbers amongst us.
Glenn
Hi Jim,
I’m a little late on commenting on this blog, but here it is anyway.
I’m glad that you called that teacher what he was, a sadistic asshole. Learning to stand up for what one believes isn’t always easy, but is always the right thing to do.
Thanks for a great story,
Alan
Absolutely superb Jim. It bought back so many memories. I think that you and I have walked the same streets. I also remember being caned and slipperd at school and I also remember the joy of seeing One Tree Hill every time I returned to Auckland form working down country ..if following you means joining the herd then please count me in, thanks, regards Jim T.
Great story Jim .I think we all need to remember to follow our own instincts and not be swayed by the masses