…with no false modesty, as a youngster, Master Gallacher was blessed with an affinity for taking and passing exams well… so much so, at the age of 11, I was reckoned to have among the highest ever recorded IQs in the Scottish educational system (all that later proved was that I was apparently lightning quick on logic… but I can assure you in other ‘smarts’ I didn’t even register as ‘average’)… came the opportunity for my primary school headmaster to put my name forward for the Glasgow-wide entrance exams to the fee-paying school of the day, Allan Glen’s School (the actor, Dirk Bogarde is an alumnus)… out of 52 bursaries available, I scored around number 10 and was offered a place… sadly, my mother approached the headmaster, a wonderful man, Carl Caplan, to tell him that, although the fees and the cost of books were covered in the scholarship, our family could not afford to buy the pricey Allan Glen’s School uniforms for me for the three-year first phase of the schooling…
ALLAN GLEN’S SCHOOL
‘…tiled halfway up inside like a public lavatory…’
…Mister Caplan would hear none of it, and paid for the uniforms from his own pocket for the three years… at the end of the three years, all we 52 bursared scholars sat for the next three-year phase, with only 12 fresh scholarships on offer… somehow, my name appeared as #1 on that second list… by now, however, financial circumstances in our family had deteriorated to the extent that it meant I had to leave after the first year of that second scholarship, and the young Gallacher went to WURK as a Trainee Financial Master of the Universe in the Clydesdale & North of Scotland Bank Limited at Govan Cross, in our Docklands neighbourhood… fast forward another 20 years and my career had taken me to Hong Kong, where, behold and lo, my employers of the time felt fit to send me to the Advanced Management Program in the Graduate Business School at Harvard University in Boston…
…to this day, the hunger for learning has never left me, and I am swift to advise any person, young or mature, never to cease seeking for knowledge… and then, if yeez can, pass it on to sumb’dy else… Carl Caplan did it for me all this ages ago, and he still remains one of many great unsung heroes in my life… but more of them at a later time, Mabel… for now, see yeez later… LUV YEEZ!
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Fantastic accomplishment, Seumas. And, as you well know, having a mentor if possible is important in so many ways–especially one that inspires you.
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…I’ve had so many great people come into my life at so many pivotal junctures, Tom… I reckon that’s God being ‘anonymous! ” 🙂
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They knew quality when they saw it and they spotted a great talent. We need more generous people like that.
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… there were many such persons at various points in my life, m’Lady, Olga… wonderful people 🙂
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Reblogged this on FictionPals and commented:
Mr. Gallacher is deft at expressing achievement and gratitude in one quick twist of the scribbler’s wrist.
Heartwarming and a fun read.
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…mwaaaah, m’Lady, Rohini… 🙂
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Yours is a wonderful, heartwarming story, which proves there are wonderful people in this world who see the value in supporting a young girl or boy to a brighter future. Love your mentor. 🙂
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…wunnerful folks, m’Lady, Tess 🙂
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😉 😉
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I seem to remember a saying, “Cometh the moment Cometh the man.” Carl Caplan was certainly the right man to come into your life at that time, Seumas. 🙂 — Suzanne
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…and as I said above, there have been so many ‘intercessions’ … I’m a blessed man 🙂
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A toast to Carl Caplan for seeing your potential and pushing you forward. And to the bank, for sending you further. I joined the Bank of Scotland when I was 19 and I remember the interviewer asking me where I wanted to be in five years time. I said Hong Kong and Russia. He laughed at me. However, I might not have made it to Hong Kong but there is time left and writing which was ever my first passion, will get me there.
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…betcha, m’Lady, Adele …go for it!
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