Your daughter is more important than me

As a tribute to Nelson Mandela, I would like to tell you of the time I met the great man.
Twenty years ago, Nelson Mandela was invited to Tongaat to receive the freedom of the town. As an executive member of the Tongaat Civic Association, with Logie Naidoo as our secretary and other TCA members, we stood at the entrance of the Tongaat Town Hall to welcome Madiba.
The date of his visit happened to be the same as my daughter’s matric dance which I had promised, and wanted, to attend. I arranged with my daughter to go to the hall, welcome Nelson Mandela, and then take her on to her dance. For this reason, I was wearing a dinner jacket and bow-tie.
As Madiba walked to the entrance of the hall, he came up to me and said, “You surely didn’t dress up like this for me.”
To which I replied, “No Mr Mandela, I cannot lie, I have promised to take my daughter to her matric dance – which is tonight. I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to welcome and meet you and then nip off to fetch my daughter”.
To which he replied: ”Your daughter is much more important than listening to an old man like me talking, but thank you for coming to meet me”.
To me, Madiba was just an ordinary guy who could speak directly to you. Pauper or  prince. He has set such a good example, and I feel proud and privileged to have shaken his hand.

GEOFF D A PULLAN
Westbrook