Gerald D'Cunha

  “Privilege is the blindfold that keeps you from truly seeing the problems of others.” Unknown     O ne of my uncles (mom’s cousin), who is in his late-seventies, was born and brought up in Bombay. He has some inspiring stories relating to his mother (my maternal grandma’s sister). Due to polio, she had a crippled leg. Back then, the poverty in their village had compelled little children to migrate to this city and work as house helps in Fort area. She, eventually, got married and started living in a tiny room in one of those over-inhabited buildings. My uncle fondly narrates to us stories of his mother’s struggle during those days… how she ran a mess to serve hot meals for young bachelors from her village (Mangalore)… how she would provide shelter for many young, poor migrants from Mangalore… how, soon, she would help boys to find a better shelter in a community club, and girls in a hostel etc.… This seemed to be her life-mission. “My sisters and I were very small...

  “There is always a door, no matter how dark the rooms is... Find it and get out.” Shafqat Bashar   W e have heard the saying, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Albert Einstein had said this. Let me paraphrase it this way: “We cannot solve our problems from the same place where we find them.” It means this: From the place we find our problems, we see everything through a smoky screen… The mind is cluttered, confused, scared … It is in pain and anger. How can we find a way out – a direction – unless the smoke gets cleared, and the visibility comes back? So, in the statement above, we are encouraged to step aside from the place where we find our problems – calm down, be patient, drop the blame and self-pity, our anger. And, this is that ‘new place’ from which we are able to think clearly, see clearly, and act wisely… Yes, every solution emerges from this place… a ‘new place’! F or quite some time, a dear young-man ...

  “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” Nido Qubein   T wo young boys have just joined me for class 12. Both have two things in common: 1. They have been referred to me by two of my well-wishers and friends. 2. Both boys come from under-privileged families. After more than 45 years of teaching the same thing, over and over and over again – many ask me this question: “Don’t you feel tired and bored?” I do, sometimes… Sometimes, tired… sometimes, bored… and, sometimes, even, impatient, frustrated and angry. So, why do I still continue teaching? That’s because, I only wanted to be a teacher, and I still want to be a teacher… I do not see myself as anything else. Even in my writings, I still see myself as a teacher… Therefore, despite my occasional fatigue, boredom, temper and frustration, I consider, that teaching is the medium through which, I am destined to make the maximum difference… I deal ...

  “Being challenged in life is inevitable; being defeated is optional.” Roger Crawford   T his evening, on my way home, I met a woman. During the peak of second wave of Covid, she had lost her brother and his wife both (who were in their mid-forties) after battling the dreaded disease.   The deaths had taken place within a matter of two-three days… Their only son, aged 20, was studying abroad, and was unable to attend his parents’ funeral. I knew the family quite well, and this thought was always passing through my mind: “What must be the young man’s state of mind?” … “How must he be dealing with this trauma and life-challenge?” So, when I met the woman, today, for a moment, I didn’t know what to say… I hadn’t met this woman after the unfortunate incident; and, suddenly, when I faced her, I felt it was inappropriate to revive those painful memories. In the meantime, she asked me, “How’s everybody at home? Your in-laws are keeping good health? Are you still worki...

  “There are no great people in this world, only great challenges  which ordinary people  rise to meet.” William Halsey   E very generation desires to give a better life to the next generation. That’s been the story of life. My grandparents gave a little better life to my parents… My parents tried their best to give me and my brothers   a better life than what they had received. When our turn came, we really strived hard to give the best we could to our own children… And, undoubtedly, our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will pass on this legacy, generation after generation… But, throughout these transition periods, one thing has, always, remained constant: There have been new challenges for every generation. So, if my grandparents told the stories of struggle and hardship to my parents, my parents told stories of their struggles and hardships to us… We told the stories of our struggle and hardship to our own children… and, our children ...

  “Dhuki jan ko dheeraj do Haare nahin woh kabhi   duhk se Tum nirbal ko raksha do Reh paaye nirbal sukh se Bhakti ko shakti do Bhakti ko shakti do.” (From the song ‘O Paalanhaare’ Film ‘Lagaan’)   I have watched the film ‘Lagaan’ many times over. I am watching it again, now; and I needn’t tell you why… ‘Lagaan’ is a story of resilience. It’s also a story of trust, faith, hope, integrity, teamwork, leadership and, above all, love. Human resolve – what is, commonly called ‘Determination - yes, this goes without saying. And, as Life is, the story is incomplete without betrayal and discrimination… and triumph of earnestness. The simple village folks of   Champaner are staring at a blank sky… Rains have cheated them… Drought has crushed them… They are unable to pull along… They are gripped with anxiety as they are unable to pay the harsh tax from their British masters…   They are praying… ‘O Paalanhaare, nirgun aur nyaare (2) Tumre bin hum...

“To be prepared against surprise is to be trained; to be prepared for surprise is to be educated.” James P. Carse I had to read the above quote a couple of times to fully comprehend its meaning. Let me read it one more time: “To be prepared against surprise is training; To be prepared for surprise is education.” Every summer, for last three decades, I and many of my associates at THE DAWN CLUB have been conducting Personality Development programme for young ones and little ones. The programme would spread over two months – roughly from April 10 to June 10. This summer, due to lockdown, the programme went for a complete toss. Many kept suggesting, that we should do something ‘online’. But, I was not at all convinced… nor ‘prepared’! Did I say, ‘I was not prepared’? Yes, I did. One of the standard features of our PD programme has been the release of one or two inspirational books on the day of certification. We would involve...

“Adversity introduces a man to himself.” -       Albert Einstein M ihir* is my student. He is in Class X1 and has been studying in one of the finest CBSE-schools. Some months ago, when he had come with his parents for his admission in our classes, he had expressed his desire to become a Chartered Accountant like his dad. Now, the goalpost has been shifted… A   counselor in one of the well-known Institutes, that prepares young aspirants for Management, Law and other competitive entrance exams, seemed to have convinced Mihir, that he was best-suited for MBA and not CA… “Since then, he has become a lot casual about his goal,” Mihir’s parents said to me, this morning,   “He thinks MBA involves less work, unlike CA.” His dad said, “I don’t think MBA has come from his heart. He wants to do it because, he thinks, he needn’t work hard.” Mihir was, seemingly, annoyed. He protested, “That’s not true… I am ser...