When teaching becomes learning

‘Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial to acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.’ -Melody Beattie

A person entered my life three decades ago. He was neither a spiritual leader nor a philosopher, but someone who taught me precious life skills that I continue to hold close to my heart. It all started during the summer of ‘94, when my mother’s friend dropped by. Noticing my restless demeanour, she urged me to meet her colleague the next day.

Hoping this to be an adventure camp or a hobby class, I reached this lady’s house as proposed. She greeted me with a smile and said, "I was not sure whether you would turn up, as many students rejected this work." My excitement waned a bit, but my curiosity compelled me to hear her out. She asked, “Are you ready to volunteer as a reader for a blind student?” Seeing my baffled expression, she explained that a second-year degree student at a nearby school was looking for someone to read a few chapters in history and sociology. I immediately agreed, surprising the lady and myself!

The next day, I entered the blind school with some anxiety, while Maruti (my ‘student’) was ecstatic. “Rohini madam, I am so happy to see you,” he said. “See me, how?” I wondered. After about a week, I gradually discovered his amazing hidden traits. He didn’t consider blindness an impediment. Instead, he would say, “God has made our other senses razor sharp, compensating for our lack of sight.”

His eagerness to learn and appreciate the little things in life was contagious. Be it birds chirping, the smell of dosas wafting from the canteen next-door, or just exchanging pleasantries with me, it would fill his heart with joy. Every day, he would reveal one of his talents: writing poetry, penning plays, and being a guest artist on AIR and Doordarshan. His knack for sensing my mood was remarkable. “From your voice, I can make out that you seem a little upset.”

Before I met Maruti, I barely smiled and had a habit of making a mountain out of a molehill when things didn’t go my way. Unknowingly, my student checked my ego and temper with his smile, mild manners, and talk laced with gratitude and positivity. Yes! My student turned out to be my
best teacher, whose lessons I cherish to date!