J. Davy Crockett III

There is a wry old saying that “if it weren’t for the last minute, I would never get anything done!” Many people live by this premise. Tension certainly builds as a critical deadline nears or a crisis looms, and the potential for a hazardous or devastating outcome can be exciting. Movies, television, and adventure stories often use this scenario, where events seem out of control as the hero or heroine, in grave danger, is faced with overwhelming odds and impending disaster.

As interested observers and students of the world scene try to absorb and digest all the conflicting information that comes their way, a profound sense of hopelessness grips some, and feelings of hostility and aggression are stirred in others. There is a sense for most people that things are not going to turn out well.

A quirky sense of humor and a cynical streak seem to have been the impetus for an interesting book, published years ago, entitled The Peter Principle by educational scholar Dr. Laurence J. Peter. It is a hilarious look at the pitfalls of a bureaucratic organization. The original premise of the author is that in a hierarchically structured organization, people tend to be promoted up through the ranks until they reach their “level of incompetence.” But what does that mean? One might hope that increased competence would equal higher responsibility.

In the late 1800s, a young Scotsman became a successful and widely read author. Robert Louis Stevenson is best known for his colorful adventure novel Treasure Island, but he also wrote an allegorical tale about good and evil in 1886 in his best-selling book entitled The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

While watching a classic epic movie from the 1960s, I was surprised when, about halfway through the film, there was an intermission. I suppose the directors figured the audience needed a brief break before the lengthy production resumed to complete the story. In live theater productions and at the symphony, an intermission is often provided before the actors again take the stage and continue the performance.