WHAT IF…?

Sometimes, lonesome strolls cast our thoughts into the spotlight of some kind of mind theatrical scene.

In the ambience of the imaginative clues created, we only get swung back to the consciousness of our immediate surrounds with the untimely introduction of distractors – a straying insect trying to find their way into our eye, nostril or ear; a tap on our shoulder; a weird yell from a passerby; an unexpected moan from a block around; or a simple car honk. We just only get back to full reality’s lair when adrenaline gets triggered off by the ‘unexpected’.

One of those evenings – while actively wearing these shoes of mind sway – I graced a scene on the link road to my street. The link road was more like a street narrowed down to almost the width of a lane due to the encroachment of the entrance slabs of most homes in the vicinity to a good part of the normative vehicular route.

That dusk, I noticed this big ride in motion [and on the right track] pull slightly to the right pedestrian walk to make for the easier passage of a vehicle coming towards it frontally. It was quite strange. Strange because, most SUVs in my terrain are not that kind to let regular salon cars have the lead in such scenarios. The ‘small ride’ would need to show some respect ideally.

At the end of the gentlemanly move, the vehicle pulled back to the road proper to continue its course. It steered nicely and smoothly that my sight could not resist its view.

Maintaining a slow pace, I paid close attention to the window of the courteous automobile, straining through the distant luminaires in the surrounding dusk. This was the point where my eyes beheld the astonishing. A lad of about ten, was behind the wheel.

I was shocked to my bones.

From my end, I noticed how confident this chap looked as he drove past the scene. He was purely brave and mostly in control. Some feat that I could not reach while his age.

My attention was fully swung to the vehicle as it veered off. Then I noticed a man beside the boy beside the wheel. The lad’s father was present with him to guide. What a beautiful scene!

“When did the young hero start learning how to drive?”

“How did he summon such courage at such an age?”

“What gave the father such confidence to leave the wheels for the boy wholly?”

These questions and more kept buzzing through my mind as the car vanished out of sight.

The art of teaching grossed a better percept in my head at once. The place for good tutorship, instructive hands-on and active practical sessions became better explained. I presume the boy’s father may have guided the lad to the slight pull he made earlier in the scene that played out. I’m almost certain of that. And surely, further clarification on the purpose of the act would help the lad be more understanding and patient as he grows, develops and gains full control.

What if we shift our teaching concept to more involving and interactive modes, rather than theoretical and directive approaches? What if we raise the younger generation to lead practical lives that depict virtue instead of self-centeredness and loads of vices.

The power lies in our hands. The mind re-orientation starts with you and I and the onus of its exemplary passage rests in our hands.