Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2014/January 2015 | Page 143

TERENCE WILLEY

Terence
Willey & Co
Terence Willey: 01983 875859
Mark Willey: 01983 611888
www.terencewilley.co.uk

The real value of the PTA

A

t this festive time of the year I
thought I would deviate from the
sober topic of law and introduce
a subject that has been dear to my
heart throughout my career in the legal
profession.
PTA is not ‘Parent Teachers Association’,
but little words that are not quite so easy to
exercise for some people as others, ‘please’,
‘thank you’ and ‘I apologise’. I am sure all of
us have had circumstances when it seems
beyond some individuals to use these
words, but they can mean so much.
I recall that in one of my visits to the
West Indies, I overheard an American
call at distance to the bar attendant ‘Get
me a Strawberry Dackari’. I looked at the
bar attendant’s face and he was clearly
offended by such a request and the way
in which it was made and therefore he did
not rush to prepare it.
After a few minutes the American noticed
that his drink was not being prepared and

again yelled the same request in the same
manner. I immediately approached him
and said that unfortunately he could not
expect such immediate attention because
of the manner in which he requested
his drink and reminded him that ‘please’
would have made all the difference.
Unfortunately I cannot repeat his response
but the bar attendant was grateful that I
had reminded him of his manners.
At this time of the year relatives such
as grandparents, aunts and uncles
usually go the extra mile to provide their
grandchildren, nieces and nephews
with Christmas presents or small tokens
of money to let them know they are
thinking of them. Sadly I have come
across so many instances where both
friends and clients have told me they
have given up this annual exercise as
they have not been given the courtesy
of a ‘thank you’ in person or in writing.
These words mean so much and could

not have been highlighted better
following my talk on the subject to a
High School on the Island.
I asked the Assembly how many of the
children had tea, supper or dinner cooked
for them by their mother or father on their
return home from school. The show of
hands was extensive and then came the
next question. ‘when you have finished
your tea, supper or dinner do you say
‘thank you very much that was very nice’
or something along those lines before you