Gerald D'Cunha

Pic.: Manoj Nair Y ears ago, when I had decided to do something about my poor English, one of the things I did – and found it very useful – was telling a nice story in two tenses… Past and Present. Over the years, I have helped hundreds of people who were earnest to improve their English with the same method… Yes, write a nice story down in both the tenses… and tell it to someone. I love this Aesop’s fable. My teachers and elders had narrated it to me to convey as to what happens if I cried wolf just to fool others! For the same reason, I keep narrating this story to my young shepherds, almost every day, in my classroom! THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF PAST: T here was this shepherd boy who took sheep to hillside for grazing. As the sheep grazed, he sat alone in the shade of a tree. In the evening, he brought the sheep home. One day, he got bored and thought of having some fun. Thus, he cried loudly, “Wolf, wolf… Please come, help me!” ...

Pic. : Anima D'Cunha “W hen  you judge others, you do not define them,” said Earl Nightingale, “You define yourself.” Honestly, how much do I know about another person’s life? Then, what business do I got to judge him? Invariably, the tendency to judge others, at the drop of a hat, comes from some deep insecurity in us… rather, some deeply-rooted ignorance… It is a habit, and, if not curbed in time, it does become our character… Therefore, the opening line: “When you judge others, you do not define them… You define yourself.” Yes, it reveals more about youself… about your ignorance, your insecurity… Your immaturity. In the PD session, last evening, Shreeshay narrated this popular story… A twenty-four-year-old young-man was travelling in a train. Looking out of the window, he cried excitedly, “Dad, dad, look… the trees are going behind us.”  The father smiled at his young son and said, “Is it not amazing, son?” ...

Pic.: Sherry Haridas “My  mother  always told me not to handle a buffalo by its tail, but always catch it by its horns... And I have used that lesson in everything in my life,  including the Railways.” Lalu Prasad Yadav W ith your mother’s advice, Laluji, you really did a good job as our Railway minister. And, you know what, sir: my mother, while raising her five sons in our village, would, always, tell: “Sons, remember the old saying: “ The dead buffalo, always, gave more milk.” Sir, you want to know why she told us this? Because, when the buffalo was alive, we would only complain how useless the she-buffalo was...  Her milk was not only less, it was bad, too! So, whenever a buffalo died in our village, and we saw her master beating his chest screaming his lungs out: “What a great buffalo she was... How good the milk was... How much she gave,” yes, when we saw that sight, our mother would point to the heart-broken master and te...

Pic.: Mehul Bhuva W hen I was in high school, I, always, worried about my tenth-standard Board-exam… It went on peacefully! When I was in college, I worried about my final-year Degree-exam… It, also, went on peacefully! When I was out of my college, I was worried about getting a job… I got one! When my classmates went ahead of me, I was worried again – “Will I ever catch-up with them?” I didn’t have a house of my own… my worry shifted. House came up… I worried about a car! For a very, very long time, I started worrying about my marriage – “It may fail… I may not be good at sex… My spouse may mock at me, my deficiency…” This, also, went on peacefully! Then, the child was born… a boy, and, then, a girl. I started worrying again – about their future! They grew up… got educated and married. I started worrying about my grand-...

"I am in a meeting; can I get back to you later?" "Oh! I am sorry; don't bother, I will get back to you." "Thanks." "I can understand how hectic it must be!" "It is not just hectic; it is crazy." "I can understand. It must be very stressful, isn't it?" "I leave home at 7.00 in the morning, and never reach home before 11.00 in the night!" "Oh God! So late?" "Sometimes, 12.00, and sometimes even 1.00 or 2.00." "That's too much." "That's killing." "And the next morning, you have to leave again at 7.00?" "Obviously. Who understands?" "How do you manage all this?" "I have to; there is no way out." "Don't worry; things will be better, soon." "I don't know if they ever will be, and when." "I am sure, they will be - and soon." "Hope so." "Don't worry; I just wanted to inform...