Protect yourself with the pen, not the sword
When he was alive, my father used to be fond of re-telling me one particular story about his friend back in Spain. Angel, as he was called, worked in the building trade like so many southern immigrants who had come to Barcelona seeking to make their fortune. For a male growing up in the poverty-stricken parts of Southern Spain, working the fields from a very early age was a way of life. But he was different… Or rather, he did something that made him different. What made Angel different from his peers was a small piece of paper. Angel guarded this piece of paper fiercely. He may have even fought to the death over it had anybody tried to take it off him. It was worth that much. Back in the days when money was cheap and work was plentiful, Angel had beautifully outmanoeuvred his landlord into an agreement that would last until the day he died. As it turns out, life wasn’t too kind to Angel. ill fortune struck and he lost his wife he himself did not enjoy the best of...