Happy Teachers’ Day to All My Students

Happy Teachers’ Day to All My Students

When I was a school teacher for 20+ years, every year on this day our students felicitated us, as did the school management. We were made to feel special throughout the day. I was fortunate enough to have been felicitated by the Lions Club in Raniganj as well. After I changed my profession and became a copyeditor for Macmillan, I was still wished and remembered on this day. But I realised that now I had teachers who trained me in copyediting so I started wishing them a Happy Teachers’ Day. Most of them were younger than me and they must have been pleasantly surprised at this turn of events. Today I add my yoga teacher to this list and wish her on this occasion.

While taking my bath today I realised that teachers in the conventional sense were not the only ones who had taught me my lessons in life. My students (children) had all contributed in a great way. They taught me how to be patient and how to deal with individual differences and gifts. So today I wish to thank and felicitate all my students (children) for having done just that. THANK YOU.

Only Pain No Gain

Only Pain No Gain

Life has a way of mocking us at times. It is said that there are rules for which there are exceptions. Similarly, there are adages and there are instances to prove otherwise.  Here I am going to bring out the opposite of ‘no pain no gain.’

The first instance that comes to mind is when people report an accident or help a victim and in return are harassed by the police.

In a lighter vein let us consider the case of Joe Bastianich, the Italian judge of the popular TV show Masterchef US. While judging the juniors in Season 03, episode 03, after tasting Jenna’s alligator curry he asked her if she knew how to do yoga. When she struck a pose, he told her that he would show her how it is done. What followed was a laughter riot for everyone else but Joe. He fell hard, almost landing in a sitting position, pushing the furniture to one side. The other two judges, Gordon Ramsay and Graham Elliot, were in fits of laughter and so were all the participants. But what did Joe get for his pain? Not the appreciation he had hoped for. (The producers of the programme may have decided to keep it for the humour content or was it intended all along? Hard to tell.)

So it is clear that there can be instances when in spite of pain there is no gain.