My Inspirational Teacher…

A lady who spent all her childhood herding in the mountains and all her womanhood in the muddy fields happened to be the greatest teacher with so much of inspiration that changed the very essence of my outlook. She knows not a single word of English nor does she know how to dial a number to direct a call but that doesn’t make her any short of inspirations to inspire.

At a very tender age of five she was separated from all her paternal links in Shar  and linked with her maternal ones at Haa, owing to large number of siblings at home she was given to her aunt at the age of nine who haven’t borne  a child in their long marriage. They were caring and loving but she had to work as the couple needs helping hand. Her indispensability at domestic chores and herding cost her opportunity to study. And marrying a man from the village sealed her fate.

Here is the lady who would never cease to smile and inspire
against all adversities

She lacks literacy and outlook but she would never cease to smile against all adversity, to all that I have known; patience is her religion while smile is her god. For her everyone has equal status of importance in the family or outside and protects the weakest. She would save anything special for family gathering and would wait hours to dine together. She would always discourage gossips and will constantly have praises for all’ that’s the inspiration of love and humanity I drew. 

I was the beneficiary of all that during my troubled teenage.

 I had never been a good student all through my primary and secondary schools, my egoistic approaches always retrieved bullies and physical forces from seniors which I would instantly complain to my grand mom, who in all her primitive ideologies would discourage my schooling and that’s the kindest word I would carefully listen to but my mother in all her softness would take some pieces of chugo (Dried cheese) and approach those elders and request them to help me instead.  In a chain like approach I too bully my weaker mates and juniors and have broken many lunch pots with my little tae Kwando, (During those days it takes thousand sweat drops off my mom’s forehead to afford a school bag for me, so i used to carry my lunch pots behind my humechu and every kick would unluckily break the pot or hurt my legs if it’s made of steel). The very next morning somebody would approach my home for refund or wait for me at bus stand for repay. In either case my mother had to fall at their feet to rescue me. In one instance I remember somebody with money and power from the neighboring village took my mother by hand to the principal’s office ignoring all her plea, the reality is I had like most of the time bullied her nephew verbally and she in return wanted me out of school or want me beaten up in her presence. Only my mother’s tireless begging with teary eyes stopped my termination letter half way.

On my return that day I expected the worst at home but all that awaited me was a beautiful smile and like always she served me tea and edibles. She took me with her to make fire in the field so as to keep the wild animals away. It was that diminutive walk that brings tear even to this day, in a very soft and caring voice she told me that education is something nobody could steal or take away from me and that it would remain with me all my life. She wants me never to quit it and in a low tone she told me that even if she dies her soul would never find peace if I remain the old me. She also said; I am the son with most potential and that with little change in my attitude, she believes my life would be an oyster though she feels same for all her four sons. She was always a constant motivator and her Robin Sharma tone would always rescue me from the hot water. But who knew that there more puddles and hurdles when you travel the rough road all alone most of the time.

Once the teenage fantasy led a group of us into substance abuse and slowly habitual abuser, the whole locality knew of our mischievous act and started isolating us with cautions to stay away from their kids. People started complaining and she knew what I was into but she would never accept my fault and would defend me against all blames and slowly people stopped talking openly of me with fear of hurting her. When two of us are alone she would in a soft tone tell me all the harm of these substances, she would firmly say I and only I can prove her right to the world. She would say she fought against all odds just because she knew I’ll never let her down. The amount of trust she had in me would fill me with regret and then determinations to quit silently. In dealing with the students as a teacher today, I follow her firm techniques to correct those turning into my teenage line. It’s the most effective way I have practically experimented.

She instilled a belief in me that I started valuing myself and to this day I recall that little moment every time I feel low. In a course of time that line became my greatest motivator. Today, as I run back into time, I comprehend how desperate I was for that timely drive to lift me up. I knew greatest teacher inspires from the heart.

During her short stay with me last year, she taught me something I haven’t learnt in my four years B.Ed course. As a young man I often lose temper dealing with diverse student but moment she sense it she would say never lose your head or try using force, that’s not the option. She said; “see, the most venomous snakes are tamed with soothing flutes and constant training, students are human take time and nurture”. This line is my MANTRA now. In an ever reflective sense I just realized that you must be trained to teach books but to teach life you only need a bigger heart…J

In you I learnt the patience and kindness, in you I saw calmness and love, from you I learnt to trust and belief. With you I learnt lo SMILE…

For your patience and caring, for your kind words and sharing, for your trust and beliefs

 I just want to say Thank you.

Note:- i made a point to write about a inspirational teacher every year on teacher's day and here is the first person who inspired me.... Thank you for reading...