HOW TO TEACH A ROCKET SCIENCE!








He is Peter. And, she is Repeater. 

“Sir, tomorrow will be our b’day,” the little lady, Vishaka, stretched before me the box of Éclairs.


“Wow! Come, come…” I pulled the beautiful Vishaka close to me. “Happy B’day beta in advance… May God bless you,” I placed my hand gently on the little lady’s head. 


“Sir, bless me too,” Yomesh, Vishaka’s twin-brother – just older by a minute – bent down to touch my feet.


“Bless you beta,” I lifted little Yomesh up to my heart, “A very happy b’day to you, too, my darling.”


“So, where is the party?” I asked.


“Sir, you will come, no?” both cried together.


“Oh yes, darlings, I will… Pakka,” I promised.


Peter and Repeater, both, felt thrilled on my promise. “Thank you sir… See you tomorrow,” they said and moved with their chocolate boxes.


I kept looking out of my glass door… till the little stars completely disappeared from my sky.


Tomorrow, Yomesh and Vishaka will turn nine!


For the last three or four years, every Diwali and summer vacations, they come to attend our ‘Personality Development’ sessions! And, every time they come, they bring their dozens of friends! The little ones… five, six, seven and eight… year-olds. 


Imagine, what I do to these still-in-cradle kids!


“Personality Development’!


I laugh in my heart thinking about the whole idea!


Vivek and Meenu, the parents of Yomesh and Vishaka, are my dear friends. In fact, Vivek was my student about twenty-three years ago. Vivek has been one my ardent supporters ever since I started THE DAWN CLUB… and, he has always looked up to me. So, it is these parents’ sheer wish that I contribute something at least to their offspring. 






I love these little children. 

They are my great stress-busters. 

They bring my roof down, 

when they attend our sessions! 

And, that’s perfectly fine with me. 

For, they bring my pride too down!





I help them come on stage… and open their mouths! Sing; tell a story, a poem, a joke, a funny or scary incident… and dance, act… 


And, when they do it, they do it with all their heart… and they enjoy it so fully!


“What are the three mantras, you have learnt today, Yommie?” I ask in between.


Twenty hands go up, even though I asked the question to my darling Yommie.


“Yes, Vishaka beta, you tell me,” I move to Yommie’s toothless-sister! 


“You shall speak loudly… You shall speak clearly… and you shall speak from our heart.”


“Shah bash!!!” I yell out to the class, “Give my Vishaka a very big hand.”


And, the roof, once again, comes down!


“Big deal dude,” I laugh in my heart, all over again. “I am teaching these Taare-Zameen-Par kids some ‘Rocket Science’!”


In fact, I show them my favorite movies. I haven’t ceased to be a kid. I haven’t stopped playing and fighting… I haven’t stopped dreaming and crying… and, yes, I haven’t stopped feeling loved, lost and lonely. So, I show them ‘Taare Zameen Par’… I show them ‘3 Idiots’ … and, I show them that inspiring horse movie – ‘SPIRIT – the Stallion of Cameron’.


My God! Watching movies with these kids is an out-of-the world experience. When I show them ‘3 Idiots’, they know every dialogue before hand! When the songs come, some sing along… and some line up on the stage to dance. Every step perfect to the ‘t’!


These are kids… My great stress-busters. They keep alive my innocence and sense of wonder… They keep my heart eternally longing, my eyes perpetually sparkling with stars… and my life forever worth living.



“Happy b’day Yommie… Happy b’day Vishaka.” Please keep coming back in my life… so that I can keep laughing in my heart:


“Hey dude, living life is not a Rocket Science!”



GERALD D'CUNHA
*Pic.: VIVEK C'CUNHA





Comments

AANCHAL BUDHRANI said…
life is really not a rocket science....(oh btw sir ur spellling of science is incorrect :)) very nice sir...i loved it :D
shirley said…
true sir children r real stress-busters.I have also witnessed it.
I went to movie yesterday ek main aur ek tu..
There a scene where kareena gifta acamers to Imran...
They keep fighting all the time but this gesture leaves Imran speechless!
the frame was so powerful that it left tears in my eyes..
My wife asked...
ARE YOU CRYING!!??
I felt very embarrased and felt someone intruded my private moments...my stress busters my personal space...even though she is my wife..I didnt liked :)
What can be you through someone you do not know in advance..
Very cute piece from you...as expected!
Lovely observation once more :)
Vikas Prajapati said…
Very nice sir

loved it....!!

Thank you
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Hey Aanchal, you are one more kid of my class!

My stress-buster!!

Thanks for the spell-chk. I am like that kid of TZP... have some 'motor' problem!

Love,

Sir
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Hi Shirley thanks. Yes, these kids can be such wonders of life!

Love,

GERRY
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Thanks Ashish... One more great comment!

There is always something so beautiful and touching in ur comments!

I loved ur experience in the movie hall!

Love,

GERRY
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Thanks Vikas for the short compliment!

Love,

Sir
VIVA said…
Yes dattu, I read ur Blog... It was mind-blowing! I have that same experience at my home... when ur kids r with u, u can refresh ur mind and forget all ur worries...

Thanx!

... VIVA
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Thanks Viva... Yes, u are blessed with such two lovely stress-busters!!!

God bless u all!!!

Love,

GERRY
Anonymous said…
Beautiful ...i agree with u. children r real stress-busters
love it......



love
priya mathias
Kumar said…
Dear Gerry,
Superb. Their innocence is what makes them the real stress busters. Fully agree with you.

N.Kumar
Savita said…
yes, sir kids always remove stress from our life with there cute talks and innocent acts. Love all u write sir.
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Hi Priya... U are the best person to vouch for that... U spend ur whole day with those pretty little kids... and your own as well!!!

Thanks, do read and help regularly,

Love,

GERRY
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Yes Kumar... the innocence is what life is all about... When we really look at these children, we come to know how simple life can be!

And, how complicated we make it!!!

Thanks,

Love,

GERRY
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Savita... after long, long time!!!

Hope, you read my posts regularly.

How are the two little angels?

So, yes, you know what a world with kids is!!!

Thanks,

Love,

SIR
Savita said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Savita said…
yes read them frequently me and Aditi.
Also have started a new blog (trial ). Hope U like it. http://thexclusivearts.com/plus/.
Can i add the link to your site for the youngsters to get some good reads ,by starting a new catergory of inspirational reads.
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Oh I am so happy Savita! Pl do provide the link... we should reach out to many many more...

I have posted something special today. Pl read and comment.

Love,

GERRY

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