Flawed Ideals

Flawed Ideals

1985 6 June 17 Flawed Ideals (389) Philip John Bayer, the founder of Quaker State Refining Co. was one of America’s business magnates. The only son born to him was succeeded by one daughter, Eleanor Ritchey.

Being a single child she inherited an enormous sum of money. But she hated human beings, and chose to remain single all her life. She died on October 14, 1968, at the age of 58.

Having no human beings as her companions, she developed curious bits in pursuit of pleasure. For example, she would buy innumerable pairs of shoes. Since she never wore a pair of shoes more than once. Similarly she would buy stationary boxes with astonishing frequency, mention but a few of her idiosyncrasies. She left 1707 pairs of shoes and 1224 stationary boxes to posterity.

Stranger still was her interest in dogs. Whenever she went out in her car, she would pick up stray dogs on the street, bring them home and look after them with special care. In this manner she collected about 150 dogs. When her home could no longer accommodate such a huge pack of dogs, she initially bought a 12 acre piece of land to ensure their comfort.

In her will she had it mentioned that all her wealth would go to her pet dogs. Only after they had all died, was it to be transferred to the Alabama School of Veterinary Science. At the moment, only one dog, called Musketeer, survives. This 13 year old dog has become so weak at when it walks; its legs tremble, and while coughing it falls to the ground. It will surely not live for long. But until it does actually die, the School of Veterinary Science will not receive its magnificent inheritance.

Even the bequeathing of her wealth, although, to her, altruistic in purpose, was marked by eccentricity, and was obviously the offshoot of a flawed idealism. How much better it would have been if her efforts have been directed towards human ends. Without a sound set of ideals, humanity had become less than nothing for her, and her energies were frittered away in senseless phobias. How many lives are thus wasted, because, they are misdirected? No real ethical fulfillment is possible without a balanced set of humane ideals.

The rank of a man of silence is better than divine service for sixty years. (Hadith)