Dull Knives Cut Deep
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| Photo: Nonqaba waka Msimang |
Knives, both plastic and steel cannot be recycled for
obvious reasons. They will cut through
the garbage bag, as all garbage is thrown out in big plastic bags. I suppose it makes it easier for the garbage guys
to play some ball, slam dunk the bag in the garbage truck.
Steel knives cannot be recycled because they will also break
whatever industrial machine is used to crush the garbage, if it is crushed at
all. That is why we keep knives we no
longer use. It might be the reason why
the English language has the saying, not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
It is not complimentary at all because you don’t tell people
in the face, like ‘that’s a great hair
cut.’ You say it behind their
back. You do not write it in an e-mail
because electronic mail has wings. It might
end up before the knife in question, today, tomorrow or after five years.
Somehow, my English teacher forgot to tell me about it. I discovered it later in life, from a book by
Maeve Binchy, which I found in my cousin’s collection. The title eludes me, but the character in
question turned out to be the sharpest knife in the drawer.
All people are born perfect. They regard themselves as such. That is why
politicians who might not be the sharpest knives in the drawer end up being
mayors, provincial premiers, senators and heads of state.
There is also pretence.
Wives might pretend not to be the sharpest knife in the drawer to keep
the peace at home. Junior staff tend to
use it to keep the boss happy. Bosses don’t
like competition, especially in these hard times of reshuffling and
down-sizing.
By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.
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