HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY MRS GOPAL

Sitting at an alfresco café somewhere in Singapore..

I had to wake up extra early today to send the kids to school, being teacher's day.

As I have shared quite openly many times, I was never much of a student and certainly no teacher's favourite. I was an outstanding student. I spent most of my time standing outside the class waiting for the principal or discipline master to walk by.

I don't have many pleasant memories of school, though I wasn't really a trouble-maker. I just wasn't interested in the classes.

Throughout my primary and secondary school days, there was nothing really memorable except for a few cute girls I came across.. but there was one occasion that has stuck to my mind all this years.

It was a frustrated reprimand from Mrs Gopal.

She was my form teacher in Primary 6. A big burly lady with a voice to match, but she toned it down daily in her saris.

One day, she stood at the door as the students trooped in. She literally pulled my collar and looked me straight in the eye.

"You did not submit your homework again!"

I was terrified. She was a big woman and her biceps were pretty huge.

Then in one single instant.. I saw something that would stick to me for the rest of my life.

"What others need 5 days to do, you can do it in 2! Wake up!"

That stuck with me all these decades, each time I feel like I am useless or incapable or stupid. Mrs Gopal's words would ring in my ears. I could hear her frustrated encouragement as she tried to push me forward..

She didn't know it then and she probably still don't know it. But she succeeded.

"HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY MRS GOPAL.. Just to let you know that I now work 20 hours a day to make up for all the days I was missing in your class...Thank you for the wake up call"

#?????? #ReflectionsWithCoff??