05/01/2024
At 17, Benjamin Franklin was already an accomplished writer and editor when he arrived in London, and it didn't take him long to find work. However, believing that it was wrong to drink on the job, he was disgusted at the tradition of taking five beer breaks in a single workday. Consequently, he refused to contribute to the weekly 'beer fund'.
His colleagues accepted his explanation, but shortly thereafter, errors began to appear in every printed article Franklin had edited. The frequency astounded him and he thought he was running mad. When confronted, his friends told him that a ghost was known to frequent the office. Franklin, though, realized it had everything to do with the beer fund and promptly started contributing. The errors instantly disappeared. He had learned his lesson.
Moral: Have your principles, stick to them even, but allow room for flexibility. Remember those words written long ago, "be cautious as serpents, yet innocent like doves." Happy weekend.
