I COULD TOUCH THIS WAY, TOO... I COULD GIFT THIS WAY, TOO

















Pic.: Asha D'Souza



More than half of the class was empty, last evening and this morning. And, my blood was boiling inside. “How can they behave so insensitively,” I was seething, “even after repeatedly reminding them not to miss.”

Many of them were serial offenders… They would do exactly what they wanted to… bunk or attend my class not as I wanted them to, not as their parents wanted them to… but, as they wanted to…

But, then, my mind was unwilling to come to terms with this reality: “I am the one who they should listen to, not the other way around,” the argument went on in my mind, “They must be made to understand their mistake… If gentle words don’t enter their thick skin, I should use the harsh ones… Some shock-treatment!”

So, all through my lectures, both last evening and this morning, I was boiling within… “I will call them today, and give them a piece of my mind,”… “I would make them sit extra and complete the work in the class,”… “I would call their parents and let them know what is happening,”… “I would serve the final warning,”… “I would do this and I would do that…” and son on….


All this was happening in my boiling mind… I couldn't accept the fact that I was losing the hold on my students, on my class… I wanted it to go the way I wanted, not as my students wanted…


Tomorrow will be Christmas Eve, and the day after will be Christmas. I would not be working for these two days… At the end of the class, I wished my students – who were present – “Merry Christmas”…

And, suddenly, I was wondering, “What about the ones who have bunked? Do I need to send my greetings to them, as well? Or, do I need to send a stern word to them or their parents… and let them know how angry and mad I was?”

And, it happened: My anger, irritation and madness – all these dropped in a flash! I was okay with their mass-bunking… “It is not a big deal,” I started smiling in my heart, “Let them have fun during their Christmas holidays.”

Would this approach help my bunking - the ‘irresponsible’ and the ‘insensitive’ – students? As a teacher, would I do justice to my own responsibility?


There are many ways in which I can try to of change my ‘thick-skinned’ students… and, there are many ways in which I can give Christmas gifts.  Today, when I wished – and meant it deeply – “Merry Christmas” – to those who had made my blood boil… I, indeed, felt I was touching their lives; and, yes, I felt I was giving them my best Christmas gift, ever!

Merry Christmas to all!


GERALD D’CUNHA




Comments

Nilesh D'Mello said…
An appropriate post for christmas. Thank-you.
December 23, 2014 at 1:57 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi...
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How ...
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or pain...
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...