LEARNING TO VALUE A 'THUMBS-UP'


 


“Maturity is not when we start speaking big things;

It is when we start understanding small things.”

Anonymous

 


For quite some time, I have been getting a bit irritated with one of my junior-college students. The reasons can make you think how ‘silly’ I could be… to get irritated with this young man. Look at this one – the latest one. I had sent a message about today’s (8 a.m.) class to a group of students, including our young man. While all others in the group replied, “Yes Sir”, this young man, as usual, did not respond. I was concerned whether he had read my message or not (He had told me earlier, that he had deactivated the ‘blue-tick sign). So, before I went to bed, I sent one more message, “Beta, did you read my message?”… He instantly replied with a ‘Thumbs-up’!

“What a busy man!” I grumbled aloud in irritation…

“Who?” my wife asked me.

I told her who it was, and why was I yelling – “What a busy man!”

“Silly,” my wife tried to awaken me, “such a small reason to get upset with.”

I was getting irritated with my wife, too, now! The last thing an irritated man wants to hear is, that he is irritated for a ‘silly’ reason. But, then, there it was, whether I liked it or not: something silly to sleep over!

In the process of trying to change my 16-year-old student’s behaviour, I ended up changing my own. Whether or not he would ever learn to value the difference between ‘Yes Sir’ and a ‘Thumbs – up’ – well, I learnt freshly, last night, that it was not in my control, nor was it important for my peace of mind. But, if I tried to push my value on him and lose my sleep over it, it’s really ‘silly’ as my dear wife had pointed… It’s, also, the sign of my immaturity…

We speak ‘big things’ from the pedestal. But, as the anonymous quote reminds us - “Maturity is not when we start speaking big things; it is when we start understanding small things.”






I am sure, if I send this Post to my young disciple, today, he will, most probably, send me a ‘Thumbs-up’… And, I know, it would mean a ‘big thing’!!!

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic.: Pixabay

 

Video: Gaur Gopal Das

Comments

Unknown said…
Sure sir will make a note of it 🙂
February 20, 2023 at 10:05 AM
Sanskar said…
Fun read
February 20, 2023 at 7:23 PM
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