I saw this wonderful image up at Morning News (which by the way is an excellent epaper that publishes daily since 1999). It was the winning entry for their create-an-idiom-contest to change the world. If you like it, you can, for 2 US Dollars, get one to stick on your car or hang in your cubicle! I recommend you also look up the prize winner (who also illustrated it) – Kevin Cornell – I’m in awe of his webspace coz he is Visually Creative and Fantastic at Designing- both of which I’m not!
Something about this idiom and its imagery, got me. The creators want to “Use it to suggest someone should stop making excuses why they can’t do something.” In me, it brought out other emotions.
It reminded me of Lance Armstrong, cycling supremo who battled cancer and built his life back one day at our time. It reminded me of my father, who’s been unwell for many years and every day makes a little effort to ensure that this day is better than the last. It reminded me of one of my several trekking expeditions, when, halfway up the mountain you want to give up, fatigued. But you clobber on.
It also reminded me of many lessons I’ve learnt, both in my education as a student of life and in my teaching in the classroom.
Some reflections:
1. It really bothers me when some people label a child Learning Disabled. It completely gets me into a rage when the child is informed about this categorization and told when he cannot do. I have been guilty of this myself in the past, but with experience and interaction with great kids who had trouble with problems in Math or English that got circumvented by love, care and judicious teaching practice.
When a school introduces a Special Education programme, a few teachers either write it off. Some others make honest efforts, but when having tested every thing they learned in workshops over a short span of time they don’t find results, they give up. Change is slow. Change needs love. Change needs care. The student, who has been several levels below his grade needs time to get familiar with the subject, he needs time to catch up. When the Bird Can’t Fly, it Walks. Let it.
2. When I was sixteen, my Housemaster at the boarding school I went to, came up to me and asked me to author the House Entry for the One-Act Play Competition. I had some success as a student writer, but a play? It seemed impossible. I couldn’t do it. I had never attempted something like this and had no exposure to the stage. How would I? I just wasn’t good enough.
Over the next week, every time my Housemaster passed me, he would smile at me- a nod of encouragement. It seemed he had confidence in me that I didn’t have in myself.
I began to write. It was tough. A few struggling sentences and many balls of paper. Then, a couple of scrawly unorganised pages. That wouldn’t work. I had assumed responsibility of this. I read Beckett. Plus another book of Indian plays. I created an amateur story-board. Slowly the pieces started coming together. I was on my way.
When the Bird Can’t Fly, it Walks. Let it. My Housemaster understood that.
He also understood that if you let that Bird Walk…
Everyone needs a little love, a little care, a little acceptance and they can move the world. As they say in India- Banat, Banat, Banjai (Becoming, Becoming, it finally becomes!)
PS: My illustration is a rather poor one- sorry Kevin! Also, for those interested, we did win that Inter House One Act Play Competition that year.
I’d love to know what you think! Add your comments below any post you like by clicking “0 comments” or “1/2/3 comments” as the case may be!
Khemkaji,
Good to know of your blog…love the pic at the top! n interesting read as well…will visit again! (though i usually dont leave comments…so this one is just to letu know i was here!)
tk care
kedia
completely agree to this and would like to add a few experiences to this note –
I being a housewife for 20yrs and with no knowledge of business wanted to make big one day in the field of exports .I was not sure whether i would succeed but was enthusiastic to give myself a chance . People and especially men made a mockery of the whole thing and discouraged me except my husband who had full faith in me . I started walking ,step by step ,falling and rising but today i hv learned to fly as I believed in myself and had my husbands support . The journey was not easy but very exciting .
Today I saw a young brother and sister at coffee day . I happened to notice that they had a genetic disorder and were blind . The brother with both eyes and the sister with one eye . They were very happy in the company of each other and enjoyed their coffee better than any of us .The teenage sister was in full control of her brother and making him feel comfortable .There was no self pity or helplessness being felt in the way they carried themselves around . I felt proud of them as they were not walking but flying inspite of them having no wings and setting an example for many of us .
It reminds me of a hindi saying —koshish karne walon ki haar nahin hoti ,manzil na bhi mile par fasle to kam ho jayenge ( this means that if you try you never lose , you may not reach the destination but will travel closer to it )
What an attractive blog you have
. I love the reading and the really pretty old book banner. I have a thing for old books Would you like to exchange links?
Kediaji: Thank you for your presence on this blog! I look forward to your regular comments and opinion.
Ma: A rejoinder from an old Hindi poem from back in CLass 8 at School called Himalaya ka Deepak. Woh manzil jo door dikh raha hai, woh door nahin hai. Ab thak kar baith gaye kya bhai, manzil door nahin hai. (The destination that you see far ahead, is really not far. Why are you sitting down tired, its not far away).
Lucynda: Thank you! Its very kind of you, though the credit should go to WordPress and to Sadish (at http://wpthemes.info/ see see bottom of page) who created this theme. I hope you will keep coming back. All the best with the Homeschooling!
Love the “becoming, becoming, have become” concept. Thanks for sharing it. And BTW, my son is named Beckett…and enjoyed the unexpected mention of the name (author) in the post.
Cheers,
Christian
Dear Viv,
I am, as I have been for the past 5 years, completely amazed with the amount that you can write, and all of it mostly held together very well with a theme, with such eloquence
Completely agree with the message in this post. Very Positive.
It is so important to learn how to be positive in the face of adversity. This comes only with practice.
You know the funny thing is that kids are (probably upto the age of 3-4) are so positive in their approach. They will keep trying will they figure out a way to do something, be persistent, not worry about failing, they don’t have any set perceptions that they have to live up to! As we grow up, we develop a fear of failure which actually makes us be negative first, positive later. If you fail in one attempt in a difficult thing, you may say “can’t do it”.
Aunty could have given up her mission to be a successful businesswoman, but she didnt. I think she is an exception to the masses.
Small kids are more persistent because they get a lot more affection at home than in the outside world. It should be the responsibility of more educationalist to introduce a system of affectionate education. Having known your work, I know you are already on that path!
Keep up the great work
Love
Supreet
Dear Viva!
Simply Superb! Its a very encouraging article.I think all of us as Kids, have gone through this.
There always has been a task that one felt, was next to impossible.Some of us were lucky to get that extra push ,the real”Thumbs Up”,however Not all kids get that encouragement.
Why just kids even so called grown up’s are hungry for a little appreciation every now and then.
Sound guidance always has the capablity of changing a life.
I really like the line where you call yourself”a student of life”.
Its so true, we all learn on this platform.Some of us are naive enough to think that learning happens only at institutions and through academics. I guess i am getting a bit philosophical.
Great Job Viva! Keep writing.You,ve just earned a Loyal visitor to your blog.
Geeta.
Hey da,
Great job though I feel you have written better before – however not taking anything from this – a blog is a place where we are not going to be our best in terms of writing – we just want to get things straight “out from the heart”
The moment I read this, I remembered Prasanth – the best thing about the company I work for today – they gave him a chance to work here and he is doing well… He is an Assistant systems administrator who fixes all the IT hardware and software issues and has to interact with each and everyone of us on a regular basis
Well, the only problem is he is deaf and dumb. But he has never let his disability be a hindrance to his work and he still manages to communicate with actions and is able to hear by reading our lip movements… If not anything, we just write the instruction down
I daily pass through his seat and we exchange pleasantries, digs at each other and I talk/listen/even playfully make fun of as I would to any other person. The best thing I feel about him is that for everyone here, he is normal and he also believes in it!
Keep writing and one more thing, I dont agree with the statement in the post that you are not creative!
Hi Vivek!
Congrats for putting up such a beautiful blog……….only ‘a beautiful mind’ could have come up with something like this……gr8, keep it going!
If u cnt fly, walk; and if u cnt even wlk, nobody can stop u from thinking to fly. The brain is supreme and our thoughts shape and re-mould our destiny close to our heart’s desire…
Good work Vivek, all the best!
Rohit
hello sir
thank you sir, for sharing beautiful thoughts.really good and very encouraging article.i really like the concept of ‘becoming becoming and have become’.but one thing i want to share as you said in your blog that change is slow.very true.after having so many workshops and seminars why the educationist are not honest and loyal to the their jobs.why they dont want to change? i think still all of us need some push-up.then only a bird can start walking and the day when we set an example a bird will definately fly.
All the Best!and keep writing
shelja
Christian: Thanks for dropping in & for the kind note. If this blog can be half as useful as ThinkLab, i think it would have done its bit. The Banat, Banat, Banjai concept is most oft used in relation to students on the spiritual path. Because of the relative absence of ‘feedback” on this path, the ancients have said that many students get disillusioned and leave it.
Banat, Banat, Banjai seems to suggest motivation – even though you may not know it you are progressing (becoming perfect) and one day you will be.
Look forward to down-the-rabbit-hole!
Supreet: thanks for the great post. Yes, i agree with your comments. In fact, i think it was you who first explained to me that analysis led to paralysis. I still haven’t forgotten that
Geeta: Thanks. Feels good to have you on here. Everyone needs appreciation – thats a good point. In fact, my ex-Headmaster, John Mason, a fantastic educator and I discussed this once. He said to be accepted and appreciated is the only motivator. He would know- having turned around/improved three schools as he has. Look forward to your being here more often!
Krishnan: Fascinating story about Prashant. How many Prashant’s do we all know? In fact, as Supreet points out above, so many of us as adults hold ourselves back coz we’re unsure of whether we will say the right things or be moderately successful in what we set out to do. Yet there are people like Prashant, birds who are unable to fly, yet walking faster than some of us can run.
Rohit: Thanks. Hope IMatrix is shining on! I should have expected a comment on brain from you- someone who’s making a mission out of improving people’s minds! I think everyone on this blog should pay your company a visit!
Shelja: Wonderful to see you here. I know how difficult it can be to connect from Kapurtala, so thanks for doing so and staying in to read this! I think change can become fast for anyone, as also for educationalists, when 2 things happen: 1. they believe in something 2. they commit to it. Hope to see more of both at BLPS. All the best!
This blog made me ask many quesions… beginning with my life, i look at the days when i can’t fly and decide to just walk – how patient are people around me when they see me do that? Then i asked myself as to how patient am i, when i see others doing that i.e. not matching up to my pace? And finally i ask the world at large- that when we all know that there are people around us all the time, who are unable to cope up with the mad pace that we live in – maybe due to their physical/mental or emotional setbacks- then how supportive or accepting are we, really?
Let me share here an incident that happened just a few months back at a high profile meeting of some of the world famous sporting brands (you know all the names!). One of them (Adidas – i mention becoz they deserve a reference), brought up the issue of employing disabled people in our businesses. The thought sounds noble, doesn’ it? but shockingly, it raised much opposition – claiming that it’s not practical! There were examples & cases quoted that it is pactical indeed but of course requires a little concern & time. No one agreed and the issue was left hanging… and these are companies that are ready to donate millions towards handicap/disabled education but are not ready to lend their ears and a bit of business time to bring forth actual results.
For those reading this blog, if you really believe in the statement of letting the bird walk then please do try and see if you can fit one such bird in the chair next to you. If you need ideas then follow the link http://www.bcfindia.org/disabilityinfo.html
cheers!
[...] If You Can’t Fly, Walk [...]
Carnival of Education: Week 128
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parenting teenagers
Great points you raise here. I dont agree with everything you have written but overall nice writing style.