A lot of us tend to think of happiness as something that is obtained with a substantial amount of input in the form of effort and persistence. And for some, happiness is associated with materialistic satisfaction. We live with this mentality till something strikes us really hard and we decide to look into our lives, and decode what true happiness is.
Recently, I went to a secondary BMC school as part of a college assignment. I went there to address the importance of health and hygiene. As a novice, I was ecstatic and also a bundle of nerves at the same time for, since as long back as i can remember, I have never been at the helm of a class. So the idea of going to a school as a grown-up and talking to the curious students, be it only for a few minutes, seemed enticing. A night before the visit, my brain went into overdrive, constantly contemplating what and how I should say what I eventually did. There are incidents when excitement takes over everything that is playing on your mind, and then there are incidents when nervous anxiety takes over everything. And here I was, oscillating between feeling nervous, not knowing how to go about the given task and excited about the whole episode seeming to be a fun experience. Just when this cloud of fog got created in my mind, I thought to myself, ''Relax, it's just an interactive session like any other. There is no need to make this appear like a monumental task.'' Sometimes one cannot help but fall prey to his/her habit of overthinking. Whoever quoted ''Old habits die hard,'' must be a wise man.
The time was 2:45 p.m when I reached the school located in D.N. Nagar. While I was waiting for a fellow friend who I partnered with on this project, I came to know there were five buildings in the school compound, each having a different medium of instruction. The one we entered was a Hindi-medium school. We first visited a class of 6th graders; and I was very pleased to be welcomed with raw warmth and cheerful smiles. Soon after, I asked the kids to introduce themselves and also mention what they wanted to become when they grew up. Two minutes into the introduction and the voices kept getting louder. One could not miss those sparkling eyes filled with big dreams and ambitions. No matter how poor/underprivileged these kids may be, but when it comes to having hopes and dreams, sky is the limit; and no amount of bias and discrimination that they are treated with can ever act as a barrier to their ability to set a limit to their dreams and ambitions. And it is in those very moments of nurturing big dreams, when everyone is equal and indiscriminate. There were some who harbored hopes of being scientists and doctors. There were a few others who wished to become successful pilots and engineers. Much to my surprise, there were quite a few who aimed to pursue non-academic goals and become good singers and dancers. The one common nod of approval that we got was that of commitment to graduating college. And that was indeed a pleasant sight. We also asked the future dancers and singers to perform for us. And that they happily did. The smiles that adorned everyone's faces while being part of this lovely session spelled pure joy.
On our way to another class, some kids who were shy of performing initially, came running to us and asked us to come back to their class to see them perform. The biggest delight presented itself when these kids came running behind, addressing me as 'teacher'. That was the time my happiness just got a new meaning. In the meanwhile, the recess bell had gone and there was chaos in the corridor with all the kids queuing up to get their daily meal served by the school staff. All the chatter and hush-hush talks among a few groups of children while devouring their meal made me reminiscent of my school days. As school kids we all want to grow up fast, not realizing that we are our happiest selves being children. Because, happiness is not an end product of any financial or social achievement. Infact, true happiness most commonly lies in things that are devoid of any materialistic associations. And these kids showed me just that!
On our way to another class, some kids who were shy of performing initially, came running to us and asked us to come back to their class to see them perform. The biggest delight presented itself when these kids came running behind, addressing me as 'teacher'. That was the time my happiness just got a new meaning. In the meanwhile, the recess bell had gone and there was chaos in the corridor with all the kids queuing up to get their daily meal served by the school staff. All the chatter and hush-hush talks among a few groups of children while devouring their meal made me reminiscent of my school days. As school kids we all want to grow up fast, not realizing that we are our happiest selves being children. Because, happiness is not an end product of any financial or social achievement. Infact, true happiness most commonly lies in things that are devoid of any materialistic associations. And these kids showed me just that!
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