When I was young my
father said to me:
“Knowledge is
Power….Francis Bacon” I
understood it as
“Knowledge is power, France
is
Bacon”. For more than a
decade I wondered over
the meaning of the second
part and what was the
surreal linkage between
the two? If I said the quote
to someone, “Knowledge is
power, France
is Bacon”
they nodded knowingly. Or
someone might say,
“Knowledge is power” and
I’d finish the quote
“France is
Bacon” and they wouldn’t look at me like
I’d said something very
odd but thoughtfully agree. I
did ask a teacher what
did “Knowledge is power,
France is bacon” meant and got
a full 10 minute
explanation of the
Knowledge is power bit but
nothing on “France is
bacon”. When I prompted
further explanation by
saying “France
is
Bacon?” in a questioning
tone I just got a “yes”. at 12
I didn’t have the
confidence to press it further. I just
accepted it as something
I’d never understand. It
wasn’t until years later when
I saw it written down
that the penny dropped.