Teacher?

A small stall that sells flowers at the temple closest to my parents' house

The post has been dated earlier than it was written.  Since I could not write anything in august, even though I have about 60 posts in various stages of being completed.

When in India this year, I started a ritual for myself.  To give myself some discipline.  That I would go to the morning prayers at the temple.  They started about 6:15 am.  The temple is about 6 minutes walk away from home.  And usually I would bathe and change to clothes that had not been worn at all after the wash.  This concept is important only in cold countries. Because in countries like India and Fiji, one cannot wear clothes more than once before sending them to wash.  

But regardless, I wrote this here to share a few things that are hoped that the devotee would care for before entering the temple.  It helps keeps the environment clean.  Not by the clean clothes and me having taken a bath.  But actually because of those things, I myself feel calm and clean and therefore it adds to my ease and disposition as I go to the temple.

There would be about 10 women --who would be ready to sing songs, may be dance a bit and play simple musical instruments such as dholak, chimta (tongs with bells similar to cymbals on them), manjira (Indian cymbals) and dafli (tambourine) and of course the simplest, --clapping.

During this ritual, I would greet the young boy who was selling flowers at this stall.  The stall is a new addition, so I had not seen it on my last visit.  I would chat with him for a few minutes and sometimes share the prasad (offerings to deities, that are then shared with the devotees) ---and sometimes we would just give each other an 'acquaintance nod'.

One time a beautiful little child sitting outside the temple came and asked me for money. I shared my prasad with him, gave him something very little.  But not before sitting him down asking him what he was doing with is life, if he was going to school. If not, and if the parents could not afford, then even then could he learn a trade so that he does not have to depend on anyone.  The child was really beautiful, had he not asked me for money, told me he did not go to school and not been wearing those ragged clothes, he could easily pass for a child belonging to a rich family. There was a glory to his face.

But, it was the time I spent with him that made the young flower seller stop and stare at me. I caught him staring, when I looked up, he looked away quickly, then looked back, smiled and gave a nod again.

The next day when I went, he asked me, 'are you a teacher?'

I smiled. I knew what he was referring to.  May be the patience I showed in talking to the child.  But I also noticed the respect he gave to the profession.  I can't say that teachers are all the same, or teachers today have that attitude of actually changing lives.

Also, I do not think teachers get their due respect in societies today where they earn some of the lowest salaries.  But, what touched me was the awe and respect with which he asked me, 'Teacher?'

When I smiled, both of us nodded in a quiet understanding of what it meant and where the question came from.