LESSON LEARNED #2. “BE A TEACHER”……..





……said the Principal of the school to a group of 10 parents including yours truly, days before we started on a nine day Himalayan trek.

Not 100 % about the reason, but I found myself on this long journey with 31 teenagers, 10 parents and three teachers – none of whom I really knew at the start. Now, for those of you who know me, you know that there are at least three red flags that immediately arise -

1.     What the heck is Sanjay doing on a real trek? That baldy is unfit and lazy!
2.     He is going with people he does now know???? Hah, given his penchant for ‘like minded people’ he is sure to back out or exit the group quickly!
3.     And finally, did you say, he is going with kids for an extend  trip????? Hahahhahahahha…….Sanjay can’t last more than a few minutes with kids!

Yeah yeah, laugh away……You can only imagine what I must have been gone through at the start of this trip!

And soon enough, I was tested again and again……

WHAT?????? ACT LIKE AN ADULT ALL THE TIME? 

But, the significance of the words ‘BE A TEACHER’ really struck me days into the trek, particularly when we were snow/hail bound in our tents with the winds blowing up a storm. Ah yes, did I forget to mention that there were ten of us huddled in a tent, 11,000 feet about sea level with weather conditions make it unsafe to leave the tent except for emptying our bladders/gut! Damn it, I was expected to behave like an ADULT! What????????? What do I do with the fun loving, mischievous, pulling someone’s leg to have fun and sarcastic parts of myself?????????

Suddenly, I was expected to manage teenagers and coordinate with other adults ….for extended periods! The challenge was to keep ourselves in good spirits on one hand and ensuring that the boys in our charge were adequately bundled up and safe! And in that period where I thought would be my darkest hour, there was light…

CARPE DIEM

….It was awesome to watch the kids – they were so ‘in the moment.’ They played cards ad nauseum, chatted, ate, slept and pressed ‘repeat.’ The world outside did not matter. They just loved the MOMENT! Mindfulness at its best!


LOOK A LITTLE DEEPER INTO PEOPLE , SANJAY

….I got to know the adults and each of their stories was quite amazing. An IT professional who left North America to begin a social enterprise in his village, a had core businessman with a passion for history and a very successful teacher who never read a book for pleasure growing up in his small town…..what wonderful and authentic insights!!!

What an amazing opportunity for personal growth – by throwing oneself into unchartered waters…..Need to do it more often…...


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