WHEN HOBBIES BECOME OUR DREAMS

I started teaching my close friends when I was in first-year B’Com. My idol, Prof. B.S.Raman, had ignited the fire in my heart: I wanted to teach like him, be like him. And, because, I was terribly scared of facing a crowd, and because I could not speak in English (because of my vernacular medium schooling), I was an underdog as far as my goal of becoming a fine teacher like my hero was concerned. I had to beat my fear of stage, I had to brush up my English… and, above all, I had to beat my self-doubts and be driven by what my heart really desired. 

So, I couldn’t wait to become a teacher like my idol. I just started teaching, after my college hours, all my friends… and I did it as a hobby… Just for the great joy it brought for me… For the victorious feeling it gave me when my friends said: “Gerry, you teach well.” Wow! It had sent me on top of the world. It had given in me the feeling, “I am the Best teacher!”

For years, now, I have been asking the young ones, during our personal-growth sessions, to tell us about their ambitions… their dreams… their goals. Last morning, a young girl said: “I am preparing for NIFT and my ambition is to become ‘the world’s best’ fashion designer!” 

“Oh my God!” I jumped. 

“Dear, I liked the dramatic way in which you have declared your ambition,” I praised her spontaneously. “Hitch your wagons to the stars,” I told the class, “Even if you fail, you will land up on the Moon.”

The girl had a very lofty ambition. And, I knew what ambition could do to her… What the inferno of her heart could do.

But, I also knew this: she could never become a fine textile-designer – leave alone the world’s best – just by announcing like this in the class. It was her wish… It had to become her dream. A very passionate dream. I also knew this: she would become a fine textile designer not because she would be able to join NIFT, even if it was one of the Premier institutes. IIT, IIM, NID… all these are just names… Yes, the names of some of our Premier institutes… So, everyone who gets into them will not come out as ‘the World’s best’… Far, far from it.

Amitabh Bachchan is the best actor around. In which school did he learn acting?

Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman. In which cricket academy did he learn his batting?

M.F. Husain, Lata Mangeshkar, Zakir Husain, Ravi Shankar, Dhirubai Ambani… and anyone you consider the ‘best of the lot’… did become so not because of some ‘best institute’… They had become so because of the fire in their belly… their burning passion to become the best.

My mind went back to another day. A seven-year old was telling us about his hobbies. “My hobby is to teach my grand-papa how to play my favorite games on computer.”

“Wow!” I had jumped on that day too. 

“Honey, don’t you like to play with your sister, mummy or daddy?” I had caressed the little one’s head.

“I like… But, I like more when I play with my grand-papa,” the little fellow announced all charged-up.

“Why is that sweetheart?” I had sounded very curious.

“Because my grand-papa does not know how to use computer… I love to teach him,” was the answer to my question, “I feel very happy when my grand-papa becomes happy.”

Now, it had almost brought a lump in my throat! 

Could anybody tell the little angel about his special gift: making someone happy by teaching?

Could anybody help that child to take cue from this spark… and go about dreaming about his ‘world’s best’ dreams?

A hobby is something we do just for its own sake… because our hearts want us to do it… do it without anybody telling us to… doing for its simple pleasure… for making us happy, relaxed, and fulfilled… and do it without worrying about what we get out of it…

Years ago, when I was teaching my college friends after the college hours, we had tough time financially at home. Still, I remember, I was teaching all my friends for free! I was not concerned about the money… I was concerned about the simple joy of teaching, helping, empowering… and, in the process, feeling good about myself. Teaching had become my great hobby…

And, before I knew it, it had become my profession!

“Tell us something about your hobbies… Tell us something about your ambition.”

Every time a young one tells us about 

his hobbies and his ambition, 

I reflect on my own.

“How blissful life can be,” yes, I really wonder, 

“if all of us could learn, early in life, 

to take cues from our hobbies…

 and go about dreaming 

our ‘World’s Best’ dreams!”

Could somebody tell this to the world?

Could somebody? 

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.: Raj Dhage Wai