Mere Christianity – C. S. Lewis (1952)
Intrinsically there may seem nothing wrong in placing adults in your high esteem, or being loyal and supportive of an institution that you are, or once were a part of but the problems begin when they are placed on a pedestal that nothing else, in your eyes can match.
Public schools establish this repute within pupils, past and present and all staff, the reputation of universities is constantly being debated, with the tussle between Oxford and Cambridge acknowledged worldwide. Old school ties are still paraded at social and professional functions and let’s not forget the secret world of the Masons or the Odd Fellows, to name but a few.
This kind of thing can be seen everywhere. The WI (Women’s Institute) compete against themselves to see which branch is the deemed the best, jam and cake baking at a hundred paces and the glory is wielded over all others at the general annual conference. Trade Unions have a reputation of working against, rather than presenting a united front against issues, and for some unfathomable reason there is also a kudos attached to the prestige of certain locations within the country, and even the world.
This is all started at an early age, school competitions, class recognition, and those deemed for special awards. It becomes ingrained, in secondary school I in the Warren House, our colour was yellow and we always came last at most things. However, I was awarded the title of community student when I left in 1966, and although I cannot remember what I did to get it my name will forever be engraved on the honours board displayed in the school hall, for even though for years afterwards I kept my school tie as a memento and I still have my report book, I cannot put my hand on my heart and say I feel anything like being patriotic to a place where I had no choice but to spend five years of my life.
Maybe, I’m just too much of an individual to ever be passionately proud of being part of something else, or maybe I have never been involved in anything that has warranted that from me.