Wednesday, May 07, 2014
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Postcards from Colorado
Mark Twain said it best that “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” I love traveling; the excitement of visiting new places, experiencing local culture and meeting new people is feeling mutually shared by all travelers. And I have been blessed to have an extended family that is scattered all over the country which has enabled me to undertake trips to some of the best places on earth and yet avail myself the familiar mundane comforts that are not offered to a regular traveler.
This year I made a trip down to Colorado as part of a family getaway. And I was treated to some of the most incredible sights nature had to offer, in addition to a boatload of memorable adventures. Till my next trip, this is going to remain the best 72 hours of fun I've ever had.
The first leg of my trip took me to Denver, the "mile-high" city. There was an initial period of acclimatization at my cousin's place where I constantly kept reminding myself to drink lots of fluids and breathe more frequently (That's right, and you'll realize what I'm talking about when you make it to a high-altitude region!). Our first trip was to "Royal Gorge" bridge and park in Canon City. The canyon is about 1300 ft deep surrounded by steep cliffs and a suspension bridge across the Arkansas River.
An Aerial Tram (claimed to be the world's longest single-span Aerial Tram) took us across the canyon during which we had a 360 degree view of the canyon, the peaks and the river. Across on the other side came my first adventure: a ride on the Sky-Coaster. The Sky-Coaster hooks you on to a rope and swings you across the canyon in what could be described as one of the most intense rush of adrenaline anyone could experience.
Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it! A walk across the bridge itself was followed by a trolley ride to the bottom of the canyon and brought the visit to a conclusion.
The second leg was a sojourn into the Rocky Mountain National Park. The trip took us first to the city of Estes Park, which typically serves as a staging area into the mountains.
This was followed by a winding drive where every mile we moved forward seemed to add a couple of hundred feet to the elevation. The park had scenic stops which gave us stunning vistas for our photo-ops. However, we could not reach our destination on our first day as the mountain pass (Trail Ridge Road) was closed due to weather and road repairs. So we turned back and headed to our accommodation at the YMCA of the Rockies near Estes Park. This place was voted the "Best Place to Travel With a Family" and offers a variety of activities along with affordable accommodation in an old fashioned log-cabin.
The place serves as a gateway of sorts for hikers, sports persons undergoing endurance training and the like, in addition to being a quality family retreat. We rested for the night and for once I felt like I was a one of the old frontiersmen living a life on the edge. As luck would have it, we got notification the next morning that the mountain pass had been temporarily reopened for just that one day and we pressed forward. Our journey took us through the heart of the Rockies to a peak elevation of nearly 13,000 feet. A small note: be wary about your dressing when going into high altitude regions even in summer.
As enjoyable the backdrop was, we could not afford to remain outside for extended periods because, there was still a snow cover about 8 ft high with winds blowing in swirls at 60 mph. Nevertheless, we made it safely through the pass (without catching frostbite) and reached Grand Lake, which is one of the headwaters of the Colorado River and the largest natural lake in the state.
This was our last stop on the second leg.
Our third leg was a journey to one of the most famous landmarks of Colorado: Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs. Although the drive to the top, situated at an elevation of about 12,000 ft, was supposedly more thrilling, we opted to take the historic "Cog-Railway" ride up to the summit. It is the highest cog railroad in the world, and has been in continuous operation since 1891. With vertical inclines approaching 40% coupled and vertical drops of several thousand feet on one side of the rail-line, the ride is a pure pleasure. Atop the summit is an observation deck/family restaurant/memorabilia shop. (Guess what is the first thing everybody does as soon as they get-off...answer the call of mother nature!). Although the lack of oxygen and extreme temperature make it physically challenging, the trip to Pikes Peak provided some unforgettable panoramas and is an absolute must on every itinerary.
That concluded my excursions into the mountains of the Centennial State. I have always had a deep aversion to snow, but I came back convinced that I would love to live in the mountains and not mind the snow at all. Let us see how it turns out.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Mahabharata and the Confederacy
“Mahabharata” is one of those quintessential epics which never age regardless of the current time or century. The reasons are multiple: highly fascinating characters, multi-layered stories with intrinsic messages contained within, and of course, a story of how good ultimately prevails over evil. But reading Vyasa’s epic as an adult provides a completely distinct perspective as one can also relate the stories, settings and characters in the epic to real life stories. The debate of whether “Mahabharata” is a true recounting of ancient history, or woven out of the imagination of a bard is best left alone. It offers timeless and enduring lessons regardless.
I’m also an avid reader of history in general and was always fascinated by the entire episode of the “American Civil War” in the United States’ history. From reading about the cause, course and aftermath of the Civil War, I felt there were some similarities to the plot line of the “Mahabharata”:
- Both depicted fights between brethren (Pandavas against Kauravas // Union against the Confederacy)
- Both involved people fighting on the wrong side because they were honor bound (Karna and Salya fighting on the Kaurava’s behalf // Jefferson Davis and Robert Lee fighting for the Confederacy)
- And lastly, both of them ended in victories for a just cause.
What prompted me to write-up my thoughts on the subject was the recent proclamation by Virginia, declaring April as a “Confederate History Month”. Even if one tries to stretch the limits of their imagination, the official argument that the proclamation was to honor the “the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens” of Virginia was woefully deficient in its sincerity and intent due to the lack of any mention of slavery. Wait…was not the whole conflict about SLAVERY to begin with. This is blatant revisionism if not downright racist, and I am not sugar-coating my words.
This brings me to my final piece: After reading the “Mahabharata” I was very sympathetic to characters such as Bheeshma, Drona, Karna and even Duryodhana to a certain degree (a most common feeling shared by many Indians who’ve read the epic), but I was never ever sympathetic to their CAUSE, i.e. the attempt to deny the Pandavas’ rightful claim to their kingdom. In a similar fashion, I have a deep regard for Robert Lee and “Stonewall” Jackson as brilliant military strategists and tacticians for their exploits during the Civil War, but their CAUSE was never just, and hence not worthy of any sympathy.
So, the drafters of the original proclamation of Virginia’s Confederate History Month were:
a) Expressing sympathy for the Confederate cause,
b) Trying to rewrite history by depicting the Civil War as a fight between Confederate South championing states rights Vs. Union North and a repressive federal government,
c) Being blatantly ignorant and insensitive in not mentioning Slavery, or
d) Stupid
It doesn’t matter that the proclamation was revised later (after criticism from inside and outside the state), but a deeply disturbing point has been brought to the fore front: there is a concerted and methodical attempt to sanitize and revise history in the United States to confirm to the ideology championed by a few. The only way to defeat such a pestilence (yes, advocating the spread of ignorance is akin to a plague) is to encourage independent thinking and corroboration.
I’m also an avid reader of history in general and was always fascinated by the entire episode of the “American Civil War” in the United States’ history. From reading about the cause, course and aftermath of the Civil War, I felt there were some similarities to the plot line of the “Mahabharata”:
- Both depicted fights between brethren (Pandavas against Kauravas // Union against the Confederacy)
- Both involved people fighting on the wrong side because they were honor bound (Karna and Salya fighting on the Kaurava’s behalf // Jefferson Davis and Robert Lee fighting for the Confederacy)
- And lastly, both of them ended in victories for a just cause.
What prompted me to write-up my thoughts on the subject was the recent proclamation by Virginia, declaring April as a “Confederate History Month”. Even if one tries to stretch the limits of their imagination, the official argument that the proclamation was to honor the “the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens” of Virginia was woefully deficient in its sincerity and intent due to the lack of any mention of slavery. Wait…was not the whole conflict about SLAVERY to begin with. This is blatant revisionism if not downright racist, and I am not sugar-coating my words.
This brings me to my final piece: After reading the “Mahabharata” I was very sympathetic to characters such as Bheeshma, Drona, Karna and even Duryodhana to a certain degree (a most common feeling shared by many Indians who’ve read the epic), but I was never ever sympathetic to their CAUSE, i.e. the attempt to deny the Pandavas’ rightful claim to their kingdom. In a similar fashion, I have a deep regard for Robert Lee and “Stonewall” Jackson as brilliant military strategists and tacticians for their exploits during the Civil War, but their CAUSE was never just, and hence not worthy of any sympathy.
So, the drafters of the original proclamation of Virginia’s Confederate History Month were:
a) Expressing sympathy for the Confederate cause,
b) Trying to rewrite history by depicting the Civil War as a fight between Confederate South championing states rights Vs. Union North and a repressive federal government,
c) Being blatantly ignorant and insensitive in not mentioning Slavery, or
d) Stupid
It doesn’t matter that the proclamation was revised later (after criticism from inside and outside the state), but a deeply disturbing point has been brought to the fore front: there is a concerted and methodical attempt to sanitize and revise history in the United States to confirm to the ideology championed by a few. The only way to defeat such a pestilence (yes, advocating the spread of ignorance is akin to a plague) is to encourage independent thinking and corroboration.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
NFL: "The home of titles"
This is an excerpt from the featured column in "Tuesday Morning Quarterback" from ESPN. Kudos to Gregg Easterbrook for digging this stuff on NFL team managements. Maybe someone should type this in size 14, bold face and send it to the NFLPA pdq.
NFL teams typically have about $250 million in revenue -- about the estimated annual revenue of Craigslist -- yet most NFL teams have more fancy titles than entire European governments. Here is a sampling, based on directories in the league's current Record and Fact Book:
"Baltimore has an owner, a president, an executive vice president, a senior vice president, 12 regular vice presidents, one senior director and 13 regular directors. Buffalo has a vice president for stadium operations, though the Bills do not own their stadium, and two people with the title "scout emeritus." Cleveland has an owner, a president, a general manager, a senior vice president, four regular vice presidents, 17 directors (Cleveland is the league leader for directors) and an "executive advisor."
Houston has a "chairman and CEO," two vice-chairmen, a general manager, a president, a senior vice president, five regular vice presidents, a director of football administration, a director of football operations, 13 other directors and a risk manager. Jacksonville has two people with the title "chairman and CEO," a senior vice president for football operations, an executive director of football operations, three other executive directors and a general manager.
Miami has an owner/chairman of the board, a CEO, a "president and COO," an executive vice president/ football operations (that's Bill Parcells), a general counsel for football operations (Parcells has his own full-time lawyer), a general manager, three senior vice presidents, a regular vice president, a senior director, nine regular directors and a team security investigator -- which sounds like someone whose job is to investigate all the other guys just mentioned.
New England has a "chairman and CEO," a COO, a president, a chief administrative officer, eight vice presidents, a director of strategic initiatives, a director of operational initiatives, a senior advisor, a director of research, a publisher and this year's Title of the Year -- a director of head coach administration. The head coach has his own administrator!
The Jets have a "chairman and CEO," three executive vice presidents, a senior executive, 10 senior directors, eight regular directors and a coordinator for equipment. San Diego has an owner, a "president and CEO," a league-best seven executive vice presidents, a senior executive and 13 people with the titles of director or vice president.
Tennessee has an "owner/chairman/CEO/president," a senior executive vice president, three regular executive vice presidents, three regular vice presidents, three senior directors, nine regular directors, two general managers, an operations manager, a national supervisor, a general counsel, an assistant general counsel -- how often do the Titans get sued? -- plus Jeff Fisher is "executive vice president/head coach."
Atlanta sure wants good press, as it has a vice president for football communications, a senior director of media relations, a director of community relations, a football communications manager and a football communications coordinator. Carolina has an owner/founder, two presidents, a general manager, a director of team administration, a director of team operations, two executive producers and 11 other directors. Chicago has a chairman, a secretary (who is ranked second in the organization -- like the secretary of state?), a "president and CEO," a general manager, nine senior directors and 17 regular directors, including a director of creative services.
Dallas has an owner/president/general manager, a COO/executive vice president/director, an executive vice president/vice president of management/president, an executive vice president/chief marketing officer, a CFO and 13 directors. Green Bay -- the only publicly owned NFL team -- has a "president and CEO," an executive vice president/general manager/director of football operations, a vice president for football administration, a senior vice president, two regular vice presidents and 15 directors. The Giants have a president/CEO, a chairman/executive vice president, a senior vice president/general manager, two other senior vice presidents, eight regular vice presidents and 13 directors, including two people with the same title, "director of information technology."
Philadelphia has a senior vice president for public affairs and government relations -- a lobbyist. San Francisco has two people with the title co-chairman/owner, a president, a general manager, a COO, an executive vice president for football operations, a regular vice president for football operations, five other vice presidents, an executive director, a senior director, a senior manager and 11 regular directors. Seattle has a chairman, a CEO, a president, a COO, a CFO, five vice presidents, a director of communications and broadcasting and a director of communications. Tampa has an owner/president, three co-chairmen, a general manager, a vice president, a senior director, 11 regular directors and six managers.
Washington has an owner, a CFO, a COO, an executive vice president for football operations, a regular vice president for football operations, three senior vice presidents, an executive director and five regular directors.
Now here's the killer stat: If the U.S. government had the same ratio of titles to revenue as the Washington Redskins, the United States would have 16,000 presidents and 80,000 vice presidents.
NFL teams typically have about $250 million in revenue -- about the estimated annual revenue of Craigslist -- yet most NFL teams have more fancy titles than entire European governments. Here is a sampling, based on directories in the league's current Record and Fact Book:
"Baltimore has an owner, a president, an executive vice president, a senior vice president, 12 regular vice presidents, one senior director and 13 regular directors. Buffalo has a vice president for stadium operations, though the Bills do not own their stadium, and two people with the title "scout emeritus." Cleveland has an owner, a president, a general manager, a senior vice president, four regular vice presidents, 17 directors (Cleveland is the league leader for directors) and an "executive advisor."
Houston has a "chairman and CEO," two vice-chairmen, a general manager, a president, a senior vice president, five regular vice presidents, a director of football administration, a director of football operations, 13 other directors and a risk manager. Jacksonville has two people with the title "chairman and CEO," a senior vice president for football operations, an executive director of football operations, three other executive directors and a general manager.
Miami has an owner/chairman of the board, a CEO, a "president and COO," an executive vice president/ football operations (that's Bill Parcells), a general counsel for football operations (Parcells has his own full-time lawyer), a general manager, three senior vice presidents, a regular vice president, a senior director, nine regular directors and a team security investigator -- which sounds like someone whose job is to investigate all the other guys just mentioned.
New England has a "chairman and CEO," a COO, a president, a chief administrative officer, eight vice presidents, a director of strategic initiatives, a director of operational initiatives, a senior advisor, a director of research, a publisher and this year's Title of the Year -- a director of head coach administration. The head coach has his own administrator!
The Jets have a "chairman and CEO," three executive vice presidents, a senior executive, 10 senior directors, eight regular directors and a coordinator for equipment. San Diego has an owner, a "president and CEO," a league-best seven executive vice presidents, a senior executive and 13 people with the titles of director or vice president.
Tennessee has an "owner/chairman/CEO/president," a senior executive vice president, three regular executive vice presidents, three regular vice presidents, three senior directors, nine regular directors, two general managers, an operations manager, a national supervisor, a general counsel, an assistant general counsel -- how often do the Titans get sued? -- plus Jeff Fisher is "executive vice president/head coach."
Atlanta sure wants good press, as it has a vice president for football communications, a senior director of media relations, a director of community relations, a football communications manager and a football communications coordinator. Carolina has an owner/founder, two presidents, a general manager, a director of team administration, a director of team operations, two executive producers and 11 other directors. Chicago has a chairman, a secretary (who is ranked second in the organization -- like the secretary of state?), a "president and CEO," a general manager, nine senior directors and 17 regular directors, including a director of creative services.
Dallas has an owner/president/general manager, a COO/executive vice president/director, an executive vice president/vice president of management/president, an executive vice president/chief marketing officer, a CFO and 13 directors. Green Bay -- the only publicly owned NFL team -- has a "president and CEO," an executive vice president/general manager/director of football operations, a vice president for football administration, a senior vice president, two regular vice presidents and 15 directors. The Giants have a president/CEO, a chairman/executive vice president, a senior vice president/general manager, two other senior vice presidents, eight regular vice presidents and 13 directors, including two people with the same title, "director of information technology."
Philadelphia has a senior vice president for public affairs and government relations -- a lobbyist. San Francisco has two people with the title co-chairman/owner, a president, a general manager, a COO, an executive vice president for football operations, a regular vice president for football operations, five other vice presidents, an executive director, a senior director, a senior manager and 11 regular directors. Seattle has a chairman, a CEO, a president, a COO, a CFO, five vice presidents, a director of communications and broadcasting and a director of communications. Tampa has an owner/president, three co-chairmen, a general manager, a vice president, a senior director, 11 regular directors and six managers.
Washington has an owner, a CFO, a COO, an executive vice president for football operations, a regular vice president for football operations, three senior vice presidents, an executive director and five regular directors.
Now here's the killer stat: If the U.S. government had the same ratio of titles to revenue as the Washington Redskins, the United States would have 16,000 presidents and 80,000 vice presidents.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
How to learn Football...the non-collison way
My attempts at understanding the game of football (the american version) were borne out of a fundamental survivalistic instinct: "When in Rome, try to be Roman". One had to know their football in order to be acknowledged as a human entity in a professional environment. Being in Texas allowed me to grasp this truth even faster. Texans take their football seriously; be it high school, college or pro-football.
I used to intern with the Texas Department of Transportation in those days. And more than half of the conversations invariably centered on the Longhorns, Aggies, Horned Frogs, Cowboys and...okay, I think I made my point. It did not take long for my colleagues to start yanking my chain for my football illiteracy (in good humor of course). I decided that I had to coach myself in a new language...FOOTBALL.
Now the easiest way to learn any game is to actually go out and play it. Well, it wasn't going to work this time for one simple reason: it's FOOTBALL. It's a collison sport where athletes purposely hit or collide with each other or inanimate objects, including the ground, with great force (ref: American Academy of Pediatrics definition). Although the idea of launching into someone at full-force and getting applauded for it instead of getting busted seemed tantalizing, I was neverthless fully aware of my body's phyiscal endurance limits. So that idea vanished as quickly as it came.
I tried reading about the game on the internet (god bless wikipedia and the patient souls who update it) and was able to acquaint myself to its basic aspects. But there was no fun in it. I started feeling coerced into it, instead of learning to love and appreciate the game. So, I had to decide; whether to continue this forced education or to just pretend that the game does not exist (for me) and move on.
That's when a light went off in my head (yes, a brainwave...I'm sure everyone else had those moments at one point or other in their lives). There WAS a way to play football in a non-collison way: play it on the PC. So I went out and got myself a copy of the Madden NFL PC game, and started playing it. There were some growing pains (ever tried pressing three keys at opposite corners on the keyboard!), initial setbacks (lost my first game 3-35) and all the usual frustrations. But eventually, I was able to develop the knowledge, understanding and appreciation for the game.
I am an unabashed fan of the Dallas Cowboys; and it's particularly gratifying to be a Dallas fan on the east coast surrounded by the fans of three division rival teams (Redskins, Eagles and Giants). Well, it's Sunday afternoon and time to get the popcorn ready: What time is it ? Game time huh
I used to intern with the Texas Department of Transportation in those days. And more than half of the conversations invariably centered on the Longhorns, Aggies, Horned Frogs, Cowboys and...okay, I think I made my point. It did not take long for my colleagues to start yanking my chain for my football illiteracy (in good humor of course). I decided that I had to coach myself in a new language...FOOTBALL.
Now the easiest way to learn any game is to actually go out and play it. Well, it wasn't going to work this time for one simple reason: it's FOOTBALL. It's a collison sport where athletes purposely hit or collide with each other or inanimate objects, including the ground, with great force (ref: American Academy of Pediatrics definition). Although the idea of launching into someone at full-force and getting applauded for it instead of getting busted seemed tantalizing, I was neverthless fully aware of my body's phyiscal endurance limits. So that idea vanished as quickly as it came.
I tried reading about the game on the internet (god bless wikipedia and the patient souls who update it) and was able to acquaint myself to its basic aspects. But there was no fun in it. I started feeling coerced into it, instead of learning to love and appreciate the game. So, I had to decide; whether to continue this forced education or to just pretend that the game does not exist (for me) and move on.
That's when a light went off in my head (yes, a brainwave...I'm sure everyone else had those moments at one point or other in their lives). There WAS a way to play football in a non-collison way: play it on the PC. So I went out and got myself a copy of the Madden NFL PC game, and started playing it. There were some growing pains (ever tried pressing three keys at opposite corners on the keyboard!), initial setbacks (lost my first game 3-35) and all the usual frustrations. But eventually, I was able to develop the knowledge, understanding and appreciation for the game.
I am an unabashed fan of the Dallas Cowboys; and it's particularly gratifying to be a Dallas fan on the east coast surrounded by the fans of three division rival teams (Redskins, Eagles and Giants). Well, it's Sunday afternoon and time to get the popcorn ready: What time is it ? Game time huh
Thursday, November 06, 2008
A teacher's gift...
I feel like telling a story today. This story is something that's been doing rounds on the internet as part of the forwarded emails, and unlike the 99.9% that fit the definition of "junk", it was something I felt worthwhile enough to be retold. I read the original story in a medical journal as part of research done on child psychology. So here goes:
One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the classroom on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.
That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.
On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard being whispered..."I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much," were most of the comments. No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and this teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature. The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.
As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "Yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot." After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher. "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."
All of Mark's former classmates who were present started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said: "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary". Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists". That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried at the realization of what she’d done: Make her students believe that they were loved, no matter what.
The best gift any teacher can give to his/her students is self-confidence and a feeling of mutual respect. What if teachers put this small exercise in practice elsewhere...maybe even in India? Would it not be a simple, yet highly effective classroom practice that not only highlights the positives in each student, but more importantly, implants a feeling of confidence among individual students.
One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the classroom on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.
That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.
On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard being whispered..."I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much," were most of the comments. No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and this teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature. The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.
As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "Yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot." After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher. "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."
All of Mark's former classmates who were present started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said: "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary". Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists". That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried at the realization of what she’d done: Make her students believe that they were loved, no matter what.
The best gift any teacher can give to his/her students is self-confidence and a feeling of mutual respect. What if teachers put this small exercise in practice elsewhere...maybe even in India? Would it not be a simple, yet highly effective classroom practice that not only highlights the positives in each student, but more importantly, implants a feeling of confidence among individual students.
Friday, July 25, 2008
In Memorium
Randy Pausch, the renowned computer science professor who gave us the inspiring "Last Lecture" passed away today (July 25, 2008)... may his soul rest in peace. I would encourage everyone to listen to his lecture:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)