THE OLD MASTER

After dropping my brother at railway station I was going back home and suddenly someone gave me hand to take lift. I stopped my bike and the man wearing white shirt and black pant turned out to be my very old teacher. I screamed “ JP sir, you?” And he said “ yes, how are you?” I told him that i am fine. He further continued the conversation, then later i asked him whether he recognised me or not. He then told me that he recognised my face but not my name because there are many students who pass out every year.

     
 

I ,then, told him specifically who i am. He actually trained me to get in a government boarding school, Jawahar Navodaya Vidayala, which was very popular amongst us at that time. The school is totally free of cost except the general category students, including food, clothes, books and all the items that is required to live in a hostel. So, the training was special and not all the teachers were able to provide that. 

The conversation continued and i got to know that it is been more than 18 years since he has been teaching in this private school in my village. The route that he has been travelling through to get to school every morning is not a direct route, rather it includes one train, then one lift, then a private vehicle and then school bus. And, he has been following this for 18 years. 

I got to know that i am taking more salary than him, and when he asked me about my job he got very happy that i am doing good because of him. He felt proud that i am his student. 

This article is not about that small ride that i gave him, it is, rather, about the valuable people whom we often forget in our lives without giving thanks even once in our life. His teachings and lessons have been forgotten and underestimated. What if he had not trained me to get in that school, i do not know where would i be right now. These are very small things that play very critical roles in our life without making us known of them. These work as a bridge between two platforms that can never be connected if we forget the importance of these things. 

     

I asked him why he does not use his private vehicle to come to school, then he told me that it is way more expensive than travelling by train and all those small rides, mentioned earlier, that take a lot of time. He is saving around 2500 bucks in a month by doing so, and if we calculate his 18 years saving just by not using his private vehicle, it comes to be an amount that can be used to purchase a car in India. And this saving is just by travelling through a different method, who knows how much saving a man can do by avoiding a lot of such things that are not so necessary. 

After talking to him, i felt very happy and learned a new lesson of being persistent, understanding the value of continuous efforts and little things and keep trying for the next level. It is very essential to perceive that how one ride can make me think so and may change my life and perspective towards everything in future.  

     

Some people’s efforts are not recognised and accepted because of their job at a place where there is no popularity and much opportunity. Only we people are left who can give such people some importance and recognise their efforts which are taken invaluable by the society. It is our duty to make them feel proud, which actually encourages them to keep doing their work with great efforts and honesty. Moreover, it gives them a hope to work hard and go out for the better place and living standard. 

Never underestimate the old teachers.