R is one of the most endearing, eccentric characters to have made my acquaintance. He came to work with me when he was eight, primarily because school was a huge struggle for him. He hated writing, it was hard for him and his work was covered with smudges. His best effort would produce illegible writing. He would willingly trade his soul with the devil to avoid reading. His report card was littered with F's and everyone loved to complain about R. He couldn't sit still, he distracted others, he was impossible to manage.

School for R, much like Ishaan in Taare zameen par was a battlefield with enemies lurking in every classroom. But what his many critics failed to see or failed to see often were his skills. R, has a wealth of thoughts and ideas that are indicative of his curious, seeking spirit. He can express himself more clearly and cogently than most of his peers orally. He is a stand up comic and often has the rest of my students in splits with his antics. Socially, he is a leader. And spiritually, he is an inspiration. His resilience is extraordinary. He will work harder than everyone else without complaint.

Yet none of these amazing traits were ever on display. Why? Because R has some serious learning difficulties and he has a seriously unique way of learning. He needs some movement in every session, else his hands or feet will move and move usually, into another child's space causing disruption. We now allow him to move in a non-distracting manner like shaking his legs under the desk or start the session with 10 quick jumps. Attention has ceased to be an issue. He needed some confidence as failing day-after-day in academics had made him risk aversive. We praised all attempts to try and slowly he started trying. R, needed parental support at home and through intensive parent meetings, we got it. He needed one-on-one help outside school, he got it.

A year after he got help for his learning issues, R is a changed 9 year old. He greets me with a toothy grin, no matter how badly he has fought and lost with his daily padhai struggles. His reluctance to read or write has vanished. He finishes and gives his homework with the requisite amount of pain, no more no lessJ. His body language is more open and much more confident. There are lesser complaints about his fidgetiness. His F's have become E's. School is still hugely hard for him but he has enough support and enough successes behind him to try new things now. He acknowledges his strengths and is sought for his ideas and dramatic flair.

R is well on his way to becoming an independent learner.

I use R as an example of children who struggle with serious learning issues. As parents and educators, we often become so engrossed in the problems of the child and managing and coping. We become so engrossed in learning the sum or spelling or grades that we forget that this child has the ability to create value in the world. He has something to offer. When the paradigm shifted for me, as a special educator, I realized I was operating from a limited approach. When we think of managing a disease or problem, we are on the defensive whereas expecting great health/ things is a positive approach.

A world of potential is lost in those who don't perform to their capabilities and this is true of both learning difficulties and life. Imagine the productivity in the world if more of us had been offered some timely support or a little less managing. What if we were given opportunities to explore our interests or the world made interesting to us by adults around? What if we learnt to acknowledge and disregard our fears and take action anyway?

And what are you doing with yourself or your kids or you work? Managing or exploring?

The idea of Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. A name that inspires extreme love & worship in a nation obsessed with cricket. Why do we love him so?

He is a symbol of the aspirations of an India before all things Indian became cool. The world saluted his genius and his skill and we, the Indian awaam, felt his victories were ours. His discipline was lauded and it gave us hope that the Indian ethic of daily plugging away at a task was the way to success. Goaded by opponents, given a bloody nose in his first test, after he lost his dad- he stood, looked adversity in the eye and came back stronger. We watched and believed difficulties could be overcome. In a land obsessed with studying hard because degrees are the ticket to a better life, we forgave him the minor misdemeanor of flunking class 10. We adored his mate Kambli and cried his tears when India lost that horrific World cup semifinal against Sri Lanka on a deteriorating Eden Gardens pitch.

The reason we fell in love with Tendulkar was that he was and remains a symbol of India. He has all we pride ourselves on- the steadiness, the perseverance, the dignity and with it a talent, rare, mystic, extraordinary and a beauty that defies definition. And most of all, he has applause.

We are a nation (as recent evidence of the popularity of our economy, yoga and fashion show) that thrives on applause. Some would argue this to be the remanants of our colonial hangover. I think we needed Tendulkar to give us the belief in ourselves we lacked. And he did. Tirelessly. Seemingly effortlessly. And to our gratitude consistently.

This is my ode to the man who has made us all fall irrationally in love with him, and perhaps, just a little bit, with ourselves.

Solace

Omnipresent, ever- potent,

You lie before me- majestic, strong.

The skies darken, and your wild is free,

The wicked streak ensnares as it slays.

The clouds sail in- puffy, white, innocent, against a clear blue sky,

And you murmur in approval like a lazy beast sprawled replete,

Today you are aloof, detached

Within my silence, you hear my demons and passions

Somehow your aloof melts into kind and I am enfolded in wisps of comfort.

Destructive-temper, crashes and bangs,

What solace to know that you, O Sea, are so temperamental.

It gives me ease to be,

whichever face of me I want to be.

Reckless

With her heart and with his

Thoughtless

Of how it hurts him and her

Blind

To anything but this magic, mad moment.

Crazy/ Beautiful

Like takng a dive off a
mountain..

Oh she's bungee
jumping mad.

Intense

Passionate , red hot ,driving him to the
edge of his sanity.

Dangerous

He won't realize that its her that takes
them to those forbidden,scary places

not them.

Destructive

Deluding him into believing she'd
gentle, fragile. Her sheer aliveness capsizing him and he is hers to love and
leave

Alive

God he hurts, but he'll never be numb
again.

Gift and Curse

Life and Death

Sanity and beyond the edge
of madness

And everything in between

Reckless.

.

L- R : Severus, Sirius, Remus, James n Lily

Have been pondering about the future and where I am going.. somehow finding this picture comforted me... There are many routes to getting there! And perhaps shortcuts often deprive us of the view we could've had! Or is that a rationalization?