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...
