Teachers Day !

Teacher's Day! But who are your teachers? Whom should I go and greet? I started making list of teachers in school and college and other institutions I went to. Then I went in reviewing the list. Have I left somebody who I might miss Greeting? Suddenly a voice erupts from behind "Papa, on Monday you said you will take us out to that park near our school on Thursday afternoon. Now it is Thursday, and it is afternoon. Let us go. "

"Oh beta, I am doing some important work. Can we go tomorrow morning? "

"You promised last time but you had a meeting, and we could not go. "

" arre beta "

" Now you don't have meeting na, whatever you are doing, you can do after we return. It will be dark pretty soon and then we can't play. See it looks like rain is also coming. "

"Wait a bit beta, give me 5 more minutes."

She sat next to me with the mobile showing time clock all over its face. Obviously counting 5 min :-)

I started looking at the list. Attempting to finish it quickly. Hey stop! My alter-ego (let us name him Mr. AE) told me. Did you notice what your kid was telling you? "You stupid AE! Don't disturb me. I am trying to squeeze some time off my kid to finish this quickly and you are disturbing me."

"No. Not disturbing you. Helping you to make your list really exhaustive and one that include every teacher in your life. "

"Ok. So, you think you know more than me. Tell me what I can recall by just rehearsing what my kid told me. "

He gave a wide grin. And then a thundering guffaw! Had he been in form and figure I would have gagged him so that I cannot hear his guffaw. Every time I heard him do, he had torn me down; He told me in no nonsense words that what I don't know is still immense. I was getting angrier.

"Two min out of five had gone forever. You, Stupid, nincompoop AE. "

"If you give me 30 more seconds, I will help you complete this list. Or maybe you don't need this list ever."

Any way this guy had killed 2 min, and I cannot complete the list in another 3 min alone. Let me listen to this damn fool. I will complete the list when I come back from park.

"Ok. Given you just 30 sec. Be quick."

"Your kid taught you two critical success skills today. But you didn't notice. One, you need to prioritize every work you do. Some which are of less priority may be done later. Like you're making this list. Sun is setting and it will be dark soon. Second, remember what you promise others. If you forget, your relationship starts to wither. Your kid is small today. Tomorrow she will be big, and she may not need you to take her anywhere. Instead, you will require her attention. Same breaking promises is what she had seen all her child years and that is what she will manifest when adult. "

"Holy shit! She is a teacher too! She should be in the list to be thanked! "

"Yes, E-X-A-C-T-L-Y"

"Let me put her name in"!

"Similarly, your friends, your father, your mother, your brother, your sister, your wife, your driver, your servants at home and in office. Everybody you interact with is building your character brick by brick, pebble by pebble. Anybody and everybody who helps you build you is your teacher."

"Gosh! Do you want me to go and say thank you and greet my servants! "

He had a very wide smile on his face. "Yes of course. They taught you servility. That is what you use now a days when talking to your customers at office."

"Yes. Exactly. Now I see your point. "

My daughter got up and nudged me to get up fast. 5 min was over.

I am not making the list anymore. I can't build a list of everybody I had ever interacted with. Going to play with my daughter and spend some time with her this afternoon and evening.

Everybody in my Facebook friend list here is my teacher too! Happy teachers' day to you.

There are many more who are not here. Some are departed soul! But thanks again to all of you to help me build me. Be there always.

Mr. AE, thanks for this humbling experience. You are also my teacher. Happy teachers' day to you too!