THE FLAME OF A DREAM


 


“Self-education, I firmly believe,

is the only kind of education, there is.”

Isaac Asimov

 

There is something good – and praiseworthy - about every one around us. No one out there is a ‘good-for-nothing’…

I remind myself about this truth, every day, and every time, I tend to lose patience while teaching. If Nethan, Sunny and Prita are slower in learning, and unable to cope with others’ speed, they are, certainly, faster in learning some other things… Like, all three of them have greater degree of respect to their teacher, all of them are very regular, punctual and sincere. So, whenever, I get impatient and irritated on their slow learning, I remind myself to see what is good about them… “Who knows what is in store for them? They may not even use in their lives any of the ‘stuff’ I have been trying to teach them here in my class,” I remind myself, “They may end up using only what is already good about them.”

Reminding myself like this is even more important for me. For, I was miserably slow in learning my school subjects. The interest had gradually set in… When I had begun to dream, I had begun to learn, too. Like Ekalavya, I was learning, almost, everything on my own… He dreamt of becoming a fine archer; I dreamt of becoming a fine teacher.

Thus, as a teacher, the primary thing I should be doing is to kindle the flame of a dream in my young students. Once that done, a lot begins to happen on its own. I know, how so many invisible teachers – like some books I had picked on the footpath, or some stories I had heard from random people – had kindled that flame in me and set ablaze my imagination and dream…





Last evening, I found myself telling them about the inspiring fable by Richard Bach – ‘Jonathan Levingston Seagull’. I remember, how this this little seagull – Jonathan – had kindled the flame in me, when I was still struggling in life. Jonathan was not content with just living for food. That was what his fellow-seagulls were busy doing… Get up, go out, fill your stomach and come back. But, Jonathan refused to live like that… He was burning with a desire to learn how to fly well…

As I was narrating this brave seagull’s story to my own seagulls, I could see the sparkle in their eyes… That’s when I was reassured, that learning faster or learning slower my ‘routine stuff’ was not as important to them as learning to ‘fly well’ in life…

I had strongly recommended the book and the movie to my seagulls…





Who knows, how well they will end up flying?

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s: 1. www.listal.com 2. www.1001freedownloads.com

Video: jonathanseagull28

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