Michelle Pfeiffer is an American award-winning actress and producer who was one of the hottest stars in Hollywood during the 1980s and 1990s, though she continues with her successful career even now in her 60s.
Her hits have included such films as Scarface, The Witches of Eastwick, Dangerous Liaisons, Dangerous Minds and more recently Hairspray and Stardust. Intriguingly, many people will link her to cricket.
The link is not obvious and is somewhat tenuous, it has to be said — though amusing.
In cricket, special attention is always given to a bowler who manages to take five (or more) wickets in an innings.
The bowler will be given the match ball as a memento and afforded the privilege of leading the team off the field — at some grounds, the bowler’s name will be put on an Honours board (as will someone who scores a century).
And here is the thing — the feat is often referred to as a ‘Michelle’ — because it was five (wickets) for (so many runs) – “five for” becomes “fifer” becomes “Pfeiffer”, becomes, yes, “Michelle”.
The bowler achieved a “Michelle”. Now you know!
For many and in many different scenarios, the number Five is important.
- More woes for suspended Cottco boss
- Blanket Mine revenue rises 37%
- ED challenger nabbed
- Sunday word: Identifying ‘mother of earth’s abominations’
Keep Reading
We have five fingers – if we only had one it would make our life much harder and more limited (even if certain people still type with one or two fingers).
It certainly slows us down. We have five Olympic rings (for the five continents); we have five working days; we have a five-star rating system in many places; we often speak of a five-year plan.
We have five senses — we want all five. In fact, we would be miserable if we lost just one sense but what would it be like if we only had one sense…?
We are told that eating at least five servings of vegetables (and fruits) a day is recommended to lower the risk of chronic diseases.
If we only had one gear in our car, we would not go very far very fast. Five is so much more than one. Five is what we live for.
Five is special. The Latin symbol for five is the letter ‘V’, found in the very word ‘five’ while that very same letter begins the word ‘Victory’.
Five makes us alive. Five will enable us to thrive. Five is what makes us drive.
Five will ensure we thrive. Five will bring us to arrive. Five strengthens us to survive.
Five will put us on the honours board. Five will give us the platform.
Five will afford us top-rating. Five will make us feel alive.
We need five in our lives and we need five in our education.
Let us be very clear: education is not made up of one part. It is about five equally important parts.
Education must be a fifer, a Michelle, if it is anything.
Education must of course include academics, but it is equally about sporting, cultural, spiritual and most importantly social development. It is not a one-er; it is a fifer.
But let us not just be very clear about it; let us get out of first gear and go and do something about it.
Let us ensure that the education of all our children in this beautiful country focuses equally on all five parts of education.
If we do not, our children will not go very far very fast.
They will not be immunised against potential dangers. They will achieve little.
Education is not purely about academics, about cramming knowledge and passing exams.
Children will be imbalanced, incapable, incomplete if they only receive attention in one part.
However, education is equally not purely about sport; it is not about cultural activities; it is not simply spiritual or social. It is fundamentally all of these together.
Every child in every school must be involved and educated in all these areas.
We end with a story of a national team having a post-match huddle after they had managed to beat their more favoured opponents five nil, an amazing result.
As the well-known coach of the losing team walked past the victors, the winning captain waved at the losing coach, prompting one of his surprised team-mates to ask the captain how he knew the losing coach.
“I don’t”, said the captain, “I was just reminding him of the score!”
So, let us end with this reminder of the score. If we are to do well, we must use all five elements of a holistic education.
Education is not one thing (academics); that is like typing with one finger, driving in first gear, limited to one vegetable, experiencing only one sense.
All five senses will be generated when we pursue the holistic education.
Education is a fifer, a Michelle! And there is only one response to that – a high five! Howzat?
