'A Bit of a Rough Diamond'...

 ‘He’s a bit of a Rough Diamond’….
That’s how some people would describe one of my friends.
He left school at 13 or thereabouts. He worked, lived and succeeded on his wits and determination. He’s achieved a lot , not only in business, but in life. I’m very pleased that he thinks of me as a friend.
When I was fourteen, in boarding school, my biggest concern was getting my place as scrum half on the firsts. He was getting up at half past five in the morning and making his way to the building site in London.
He’s a tough character, not only in the conventional sense, but in the unseen sense in which he can take as well as he gives, and give credit for it.
He’s two years older than me, and about two centuries wiser, smarter, sharper, and faster.
What people see is the rough exterior, the jagged edges, the unpolished surface.
And that’s a pity, because they’re missing the very quality they use to describe him; the diamond part.
And we can all do that. Very easily. So, maybe we could look at the language we use on a daily basis, any of us, and try to ensure that what we say reflects more closely what we mean.