"This boy has a terrible handwriting. The horizontal line in "A" is slanted.."H" is inclined"." Complained my Engineering drawing teacher to his supervisor.
I was already miserable, as he would not sign my Engineering drawing sheets for what he thought was not up-to the mark. This was the third time, I redrew the sheets.
The "Provost" was ill famed for his temper and I was one in direct line of fire for being the worst of the Four.
M.G.G. looked at my sheets and then looked at the provost. "I do not see anything bad with his sheets. Good job.".
The "Provost" was quick to reply, "It's only because he drew it for the third time.". By doing so opening a gate to further humiliation.
"Why should everyone have a nice handwriting? What does it fetch?"..I had wondered. I remembered my early years in school. "Ram Milan Singh", the teachers bamboo cane, had delivered the juiciest, for bad handwriting.
I had just switched to the fountain pen from my Graphite pencil.
M.G.G. asked, "What do you want to be?". The question from my mentor brought me back to the present. I was dumb. I had forgotten dreaming. Let alone dreaming, I forgot to think freely!
I muttered, " A Draftsman." If my Handwriting is not that great, it seemed a tall aim.
"And then?", He continued to ask. I mused, " Perhaps, A designer?"
"And Then?", he asked again. I felt very shy and embarassed, "Engineer". I spoke the unthinkable.
"And then" he continued till I had no dreams..I had no answer.
The "Provost" of my prison was observing the dialogue between the worst student and his Boss. He was confused. As an instructor, he thought that I did not deserve that kind of talk, till my handwriting was good enough for him.
During that 30 min dialog, my coach had worked on me to ask for a taller goal. Build confidence and give me , ability to dream. One ray of hope kindled in the dark cell for a 16 year old boy, away from his home. There were other unfortunate souls, who did not get M.G.G's guidance.
Or perhaps it is also true, "Not everyone can be coached."
For people like me, its is the power of a question versus an 'instruction'. (Direction). To one who rebels, you could ask questions? The coach invested in me for future. No direct measurements of my performance.
My Instructor directed..Must Do.. OR Black sheep.
When you drive a workforce, Are you being an instructive manager?
I wonder; How many lives were ruined for need to improve handwriting and line work. And many such mundane tasks that fetch marks, but get you nothing in life.
It seems so ridiculous, today, when you have CAD to give you finest output and even drawings can be redundant, the "trade", for which I trained is almost obsolete. Handwriting can be anything..the mind that thinks fast and the hand cannot keep up with..will have weird handwriting.
Design is a trade that can never die. My pride is, what I designed, works and can be seen on the roads in many vehicles. The drawings may have been not "upto mark". But they convey design for good things.
The coaching asked me to think, where I want to be. So I may have to dream and answer the question at every point in my life. If I gave him an answer to please him and get over with the ordeal, there would be no future questioning, to get better!
You may want to ask the same. Do you feel stuck in a rut? What do you do about it?
Why do you feel the "rut" is a "rut"? Can you do anything better with the "rut"?
Why a "problem" is a "Problem"? Do you not have the power to search for an answer? Or must you ask and get answered back , "Good Question?" and get back a stupid answer which already is in your mind.
Must you seek confirmation for everything? Your talent?
Do you seek a certificate for everything i.e. to be "recorded" as good?
What M.G.G said to me, I still extend to everyday life. I just need to work on problem till I have all possible solutions.
The choice of the solution does not always have to be correct. Few of my friends see as a "failed decision".
I am perfectly fine if I did not get their "Certificate".
However, I am still frustrated with few decisions I make, as I may forget the situations around them.
Also, I have forgotten a bit to Dream. I should tell myself to do it at times.. Then work on it.
P.S: M.G.G. was very innovative, when teaching. He is still loved by his students. ,I perhaps, took one more thing from him i.e. Sketching humans, which I had thought the most difficult thing to do. When students were at work, he used to sketch one of us.
MGG is one of the strong reasons, I sketch today! Or even that I became an artist so late in life!
I was already miserable, as he would not sign my Engineering drawing sheets for what he thought was not up-to the mark. This was the third time, I redrew the sheets.
The "Provost" was ill famed for his temper and I was one in direct line of fire for being the worst of the Four.
M.G.G. looked at my sheets and then looked at the provost. "I do not see anything bad with his sheets. Good job.".
The "Provost" was quick to reply, "It's only because he drew it for the third time.". By doing so opening a gate to further humiliation.
"Why should everyone have a nice handwriting? What does it fetch?"..I had wondered. I remembered my early years in school. "Ram Milan Singh", the teachers bamboo cane, had delivered the juiciest, for bad handwriting.
I had just switched to the fountain pen from my Graphite pencil.
I muttered, " A Draftsman." If my Handwriting is not that great, it seemed a tall aim.
"And then?", He continued to ask. I mused, " Perhaps, A designer?"
"And Then?", he asked again. I felt very shy and embarassed, "Engineer". I spoke the unthinkable.
"And then" he continued till I had no dreams..I had no answer.
The "Provost" of my prison was observing the dialogue between the worst student and his Boss. He was confused. As an instructor, he thought that I did not deserve that kind of talk, till my handwriting was good enough for him.
During that 30 min dialog, my coach had worked on me to ask for a taller goal. Build confidence and give me , ability to dream. One ray of hope kindled in the dark cell for a 16 year old boy, away from his home. There were other unfortunate souls, who did not get M.G.G's guidance.
Or perhaps it is also true, "Not everyone can be coached."
For people like me, its is the power of a question versus an 'instruction'. (Direction). To one who rebels, you could ask questions? The coach invested in me for future. No direct measurements of my performance.
My Instructor directed..Must Do.. OR Black sheep.
When you drive a workforce, Are you being an instructive manager?
I wonder; How many lives were ruined for need to improve handwriting and line work. And many such mundane tasks that fetch marks, but get you nothing in life.
It seems so ridiculous, today, when you have CAD to give you finest output and even drawings can be redundant, the "trade", for which I trained is almost obsolete. Handwriting can be anything..the mind that thinks fast and the hand cannot keep up with..will have weird handwriting.
Design is a trade that can never die. My pride is, what I designed, works and can be seen on the roads in many vehicles. The drawings may have been not "upto mark". But they convey design for good things.
The coaching asked me to think, where I want to be. So I may have to dream and answer the question at every point in my life. If I gave him an answer to please him and get over with the ordeal, there would be no future questioning, to get better!
You may want to ask the same. Do you feel stuck in a rut? What do you do about it?
Why do you feel the "rut" is a "rut"? Can you do anything better with the "rut"?
Why a "problem" is a "Problem"? Do you not have the power to search for an answer? Or must you ask and get answered back , "Good Question?" and get back a stupid answer which already is in your mind.
Must you seek confirmation for everything? Your talent?
Do you seek a certificate for everything i.e. to be "recorded" as good?
What M.G.G said to me, I still extend to everyday life. I just need to work on problem till I have all possible solutions.
The choice of the solution does not always have to be correct. Few of my friends see as a "failed decision".
I am perfectly fine if I did not get their "Certificate".
However, I am still frustrated with few decisions I make, as I may forget the situations around them.
Also, I have forgotten a bit to Dream. I should tell myself to do it at times.. Then work on it.
P.S: M.G.G. was very innovative, when teaching. He is still loved by his students. ,I perhaps, took one more thing from him i.e. Sketching humans, which I had thought the most difficult thing to do. When students were at work, he used to sketch one of us.
MGG is one of the strong reasons, I sketch today! Or even that I became an artist so late in life!
Down memory lane. He was always good at encouraging others. I remember one comment that boosted my everything. "Hey Joeche writing changla ahe" He sort of mentioned it casually to the other teacher and that boosted my self esteem.
ReplyDeleteJoe, its a reward to be appreceated, not too many times. I see people go overboard with praise and false acclaim for mundane stuff! Age gives the wisdom to observe what is unfortunately the fate of such.
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