This is perhaps the earliest axiom I remember learning. It came from my childhood best friend's (Mitch Peters) Step Dad, S. Benson Madison. Ben was one of those cool Dad's that wanted to be deep into the music business but just didn't quite have the talent for it. So he lived vicariously through Mitch, myself and our band, The Surjeon Jeneral, and he pushed us in directions that to this day I am thankful for. Mitch and I began putting our plans together late in our Freshman year of high school on assembling a rock band. Ben was there encouraging us and teaching us the music business along with management and marketing as we began putting the band together and looking for gigs.
Often, after hours of rehearsal, sometimes early into the morning and always after a few Bacardi and Cokes for Ben, he would begin philosophising to Mitch and I. No subject was out of the question. Girls, school, politics, religion, Yoko Ono, Janice Joplin, you name it, Ben had an opinion and he was very convincing.
The three of us were sitting in The Goose, an RV converted school bus that we used to travel to gigs, where Ben kept his stash of Ezra Brooks Bourbon. I remember that night like it was yesterday and two topics that were covered: 1) To keep an eye on Susanne Thrower, she will turn into a beautiful woman (he was right) and 2) Tact, diplomacy and fresh breath are the three things that will get you anywhere you want to go in life.
It wasn't the first time Ben had preached tact, diplomacy and fresh breath to us, I just remember that time the most.
He was right on that too.
Tact is a keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others in order to avoid offense. It's how you approach things.
Diplomacy, similar to tact has to do with the art and practice of conducting negotiations. The root of the word "diploma", was always pushed by Ben. He always stressed the importance of knowledge to any approached subject and education.
And then there is "fresh breath." Well, he's right there too. I mean who wants to deal with anyone with bad breath. But this third element had more to do with personal hygiene, grooming and appearance.
Now think about it, could you have gotten where you are now without all three of these things? Now, knowing the secret to life via Ben Madison, can you now get further in life?
Ben, thanks for being there in my life.
