Yesterday was Teacher’s Day.
[By the way, I was supposed to write this post yesterday, in which case the post would have started with ‘Today is Teacher’s Day’. But I couldn’t, for the simple reason that I was busy sneezing. Yes, that’s what a few days worth of inhaling smoke does to you. Anyway, like I was saying, yesterday was Teacher’s Day.]
I have been reading all sorts of tributes to teachers from those around me (Facebook is FULL of them) and I am feeling all perturbed. Is it just me? Am I the only one who has nothing to say about ‘teachers’ and the role they have played in MY life, whether it be in school and/or home? Most of them have done their duties and that’s as far as I will go.
My teachers in life have always been the adversities and negativity that I had to face. THEY taught me what I did not want to do in life. THEY taught me who I did not want to be. When you have a number say 10, and you take away 6, the balance has to be 4. So when you know what/who you don’t want, the rest is easy. What you have left is what you aspire to be. I have tried to be true to that answer I arrived at all by myself.
Then there are the many books I could lay my hands on that I read voraciously. You cannot call them all ‘great’ but I carried something unique away from each of them. Books introduced me to different places, people, their lifestyles and ideas. They showed me the lows humankind could dip to, also the highs they could rise. They influenced me by raising my awareness and giving new insights. What better teachers could I have found than them?
And last but not the least, there are the everyday ordinary people you encounter, some aspect of whose life stories touch your heart (unlike the made up sob stories shared on WhatsApp that annoy me so much). Each one of those ordinary people has something of value to impart and I willingly accept those teaching moments.
So here’s to my teachers: Adversities, Books, and Ordinary People.
And oh! Yesterday was also my wedding anniversary. Thirty Eight and counting. 😉
© Shail Mohan 2020
Shail's Nest 
Happy Anniversary!
Thank you 🙂
I understand what you say about teachers – I do not have fond memories of any of mine – yet I did my utmost to be the kind of teacher I wish I had teaching me. I think I managed that. On the other hand, I feel it is important for teachers to guide their charges towards sources of inspiration such as you mention: to derive the best from reading widely, listening to people, and to learn from the bumps we encounter on life’s journey. Your wedding anniversary was, I hope, a happy one. Spending the rest of one’s life with one person is a great teacher too!
Firstly happy anniversary!
Secondly, how sad that you did not have any inspiring (or even NICE) teachers in your formative years. As a teacher of 28 years I’m lucky that my face seemed to fit and I have entertained and inspired children over that time. I’m very proud of that and feel honoured and privileged that so many continue even now to hold me in high regard. There’s nothing better than being a real driving influential force in a good way. What a shame you didn’t experience this…