THE GAP BETWEEN THE FOOT-BOARD AND PLATFORM














Many years ago, I used to display in my classroom a fresh inspirational quote every Monday morning. One of them was this:


“WANT TO EAT AN ELEPHANT?”

The quote was in big-bold letters. Below this quote ran a small line in very small letters… So small, that my students would curiously come closer to read it:

“Eat one spoon at a time!”

This quote had helped me convey to my students the importance of taking our ‘baby steps’ in life. The journey of thousand miles always started with one step at a time… The climb to the Mount Everest always began with one step at a time… Yes, if we learnt to eat one spoon at a time, we could finish eating an elephant, too!

Whenever I am overwhelmed by the magnitude of the work before me, I remind myself with this quote: “Hey, want to eat an elephant? Eat one spoon at a time!”

I learnt to eat the elephant called ‘English Speaking’ in the same way… by eating one spoon at a time… Slowly, steadily, consistently, persistently, patiently over a long, long period of time. There was simply no other way.


Today, in my training session, when I found many students overwhelmed by this elephant called ‘English Speaking’, I told them about the quote that always inspired me. “Start somewhere, with whatever small steps possible… It gains momentum.” Many of them commuted by local train. Hence, I asked them, “Before every station arrives, what is the recorded announcement you hear?”


Pudil station Dombivili. Kripya gaaditun utartaana gaadiche paidaan va falataavaril antaraavar laksh dya.

Agla station Dombivili. Kripya gaadi se utarte samay gaadi ke paidaan va platform ke beech ke antar par dhyan de.

Next station Dombivili. Please mind the gap between the foot-board and platform while alighting from the train.


They hear this announcement every day, before every station… In Marathi, Hindi and English. Can they not learn at least ‘this much English’ – a spoonful of it – at one time?

In every station of our life, there is always a gap between the foot-board and platform… and we need to mind it!


GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Amrita Jeurkar


Comments

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...