Have You Expressed Gratitude to Your Teachers Recently

Yesterday morning when I woke up, I saw several messages on my WhatsApp about the festival Guru Purnima. It is the day to remember and worship Gurus (teachers, both spiritual and academic) who have had an influence on your life.

The word ‘Guru’ comprises two root words — ‘Gu’ which means ignorance or darkness, ‘ru’ which means one who takes you out of that ignorance or darkness towards knowledge and light. It was a day celebrating the Gurus that had influence in our life.

When I thought about Guru, I could remember my teachers although Guru can be anyone. Gurus are teachers who not only teach a few academic subjects or made you learn something, they open up a world for you, make you a better person and develop your character to lead a better life. It could be your mother, father, sister, a friend, a mentor, a colleague, a spouse, or even kids. Also, in the internet world, there are so many whom we may not have met personally, but they teach directly or indirectly through their work online.

But, when we say favourite teacher, it evokes childhood memories and teachers from school. Perhaps, that teacher in your school with the big specs who made you involved in his story, or that teacher who liked you so much that you felt on top of the sky, or that teacher with that interesting style of writing on the board you could keep looking at it the whole day or the teacher who would speak with her varying voice which would be like music to your ears, or the teacher who would scare you to death while in school but you adored him later on with respect.

I thought about all of them, so many memories, however, I had not spoken or interacted with any of them recently.

The only exception to this was one teacher, not a teacher from school days but a recent one. A teacher in an unconventional sense, who taught me swimming recently.

Before I moved from London to Bangalore in March’20, I had been attending swimming lessons for the past three years. I was afraid of the deep water and had never learned to swim until I was 36. I learned at age 36 to swim on my front and back successfully contrary to what everyone thinks it is difficult to learn to swim at a later age.

The entire experience became a learning experience, not just learning ‘how to swim’ but also on ‘how to learn’. The teacher who taught me swimming was phenomenal and different.

She is in her 70s and with a lot of experience in teaching swimming. Some even had taken part in the Olympics. Starting from the first class, she was a class apart. She was particular about learning the fundamentals well. She focussed on the basics, basics, and basics. She would make sure I learn each stage to perfection before even trying out the next stage — be it push glide or floating, or with kicking or with breathing. I had never thought I would learn about ‘how to learn’ so well in a swimming class.

When I came out so smooth swimmer eventually and people started acknowledging, hardly anyone could understand why. I felt the best teachers shape you in a way the outcome speaks for itself. She had a lot of impact on me for my learning and development, and I wanted to meet her once to thank her.

Last year in July, I had to visit London for about a week on a business trip and I planned to meet my swim teacher during that weekend. On Sunday evening, I went to the leisure centre where the swimming lessons were held. The last lesson would finish at 8 pm, so I went around that time.

When I entered the swimming pool entrance, I saw her from far, and I could recollect all the past three years’ memory. I had been swimming regularly every Sunday from 7.30 pm to 8 pm for the past three years. I greeted her. She was happy to see me. I told her I just wanted to meet her, and she was happy.

We walked back to the car parking area. In the past three years when I was learning to swim, we never spoke about anything apart from swimming, this was the first time we were speaking about life. During those 300–400 meters walk, she told her about her life. She used to be a music teacher long back and how teaching principles are the same irrespective of the skills. She was also worried whether she would still have a swim teacher position the next year with all the changes her company was undertaking. I never knew until at that point.

When we reached the parking lot where her car was parked, she asked me — where did you park your car?. I said, I just walked her till the car. The moment she realized I walked her back from the swimming pool till the parking area, and it was a sort of respect, a thanking and showing gratitude, she became emotional. It had made her day. Someone was in London only for a week for a business trip, making time to meet a swim teacher and walking her till her car, she told that it meant a lot to her.

Sometimes teachers need validation. They need respect. They also need help. I had seen the happiness in my swim teachers’ eyes that day. A few years back I visited two of my teachers whom I had admired, my 7th-grade class teacher and 10th-grade class teacher, and I can’t explain how happy they were.

Just think about your teachers. People who influenced you to be the person you are today. I am sure you will remember a few the most. Everyone has their favourite one or more. Have you reached out to them lately.? Have you spoken to them to check, are they doing well? Do they need support?

When I thought about it, I was not there. I could do a lot better. I am not saying that out of modesty. Some of my teachers are in the ’70s and some in the ’80s too, and some may not be leading a life that probably they deserved. Do I care? Can I do something about it?.

If not for anything, this tradition of celebrating Guru Purnima festival helped me to come up with this thought to do something about it yesterday. Hopefully, I will do that in action.