I shall use this analogy since I'm a teacher to be but like I said it's only an analogy so obviously it can be applied in other context.
Imagine a classroom.
You are a teacher and you have a class full of hardworking students working their ass off at a task you have assigned them.
Each student putting in their best effort and feeling good about themselves for a effort well given.
They may not be the best but they are sure trying their best cause if everyone were of the same standard an calibre we might as well be in Utopia.
There is diversity everywhere you go, be it colour, age, size or ability which I think people with their heads buried in the sand should maybe start to pull them out and acknowledge it- it's simply just a fact of life.
Anyway, I digress. Back to classroom.
So you are the teacher and you notice this boy in your class not doing the exact thing you have asked the class to do.
You told them to cut along the dotted lines and fill in the colour of the cut out. This boy who has not learnt to cut properly tries his best but has got some jagged edges here and there.
You see it and you do not scold him- good job on that.
However you direct your attention to the class and you start lecturing them.
"when you are given dotted lines, you jolly well cut along and not everywhere else on the page! How is it that you can cut straight?? Such a simple job!!"
The students who have done their best start to wonder what they have done wrong?
Why is it that when I am doing my best I still get a scolding?
Why is the teacher not helping my friends who cant cut straight by giving them some cues?
Does that mean that whenever one friend messes up my effort will not be counted?
Why should I put in anymore effort now?
I think the worst thing that a teacher (or anyone whom people look upon as a trasferrer of knowledge) can do is to scream and shout at her students even though they are putting in their best effort.
Let's switch shoes right now and take the positions of the students.
If I were one of them, I would drop my scissors immediately and stop the activity because I really cannot fantom why I have someone screaming at me.
One of the reason why I have stayed away from uniform groups is I that i dislike the regimental style of running things that is adopted by most of them.
You are nobody and I can make you do silly things just because I have an additional stripe on my badge.
I can punish and shout at you just because I can- if anyone asks I can just say I'm training your patience
In a blurry state of mind, i somehow find myself in that situation which I try so hard to stay away from which..... irks me.
I think the only appropriate PG 13 word i can find right now is irk- it irks me!!!
How do you expect your soldiers to die for you when you are there putting them down all the time?
Anyway, I believe you are your problems and you are also your solutions.
Rather than mopping in self pity i shall try to fix the problems.
I shall be my own solution
I shall persevere and press on.
Just like Roger Federer!
Congrats on winning your 5th Basel title after a drought period!
Depite what they say about you losing your magic, i still think you are the greatest tennis player of all time, OF ALL TIME!
