What is it about certain teachers who impart knowledge in a way that clicks? Or knowledge that feels so useful that you hold on to it for life. I was always one of those students who responded to how I was taught rather than what I was taught. I enjoyed classroom education, but I was also inspired by lessons outside of traditional academia. In this week’s blog, I share an incident from not too long ago when someone, whom I didn’t think had much to teach me, gave me the best possible guidance. The reason behind this blog is that we are often too quick to write off teachers who don’t have the “right” credentials or academic background. When, in fact, it’s these very people who have no singular degree but know their craft well enough to educate us successfully.
When I shifted to India, I needed to get all sorts of identifications in order. One of them was getting a driver’s license for which I had to take a road test. Bizarrely, the driving test was not on the road but on a designated layout where the necessary skills were put to test, including reversing into a parking space, parallel parking, adhering to signs, and such. I had my own challenges and failed my first test. The second time around, I went to a practice facility that replicated the same route as the one I’d follow for the road test.
I practiced several times but could not reverse into a narrow parking space to save my life. My frustration and nervousness rose as I was due at the road test location shortly. Eventually, on my third or fourth try, an older gentleman walked over. I noticed him when I first entered the site. He was one of the many men in charge of the site.
This gentleman blatantly asked me if I’d ever reversed a car in my life. The question might sound condescending, but his tone and approach were not. He was gauging how much he needed to instruct me. When I told him that I had indeed driven in reverse but never backed into such a small parking space, he paused. He walked me through the process step-by-step. Although it was hard to follow him as he spoke the local dialect, his instructions were as clear as day. They were succinct, precise, and so effective that when I followed them to the T at my driving test, I knew I’d nailed it. I will be forever grateful to that man for sparing a few minutes to guide me when his sole job was the upkeep of the practice facility.
It was fairly obvious from interacting with the gentleman that he came from a different stratum in life. One where his highest priority was putting food on the table. He wasn’t a certified driving instructor, but he had plenty of experience observing, guiding, and working at this mock route facility that he now knew exactly what to teach and to whom. I still follow his directions when having to back into a parking spot or to parallel park.
Another incident that I recall is from my childhood. My mother frequently suffered from an ailment called umbilical hernia where she would experience unbearable abdominal pain. The agony would leave her in tears, and it would take her a few days to recover. Thankfully, around that time, we hired Urmila aunty for odd jobs around the house. On one occasion, when she was around, my mom experienced the pain. Urmila aunty knew exactly what was happening. She calmly took charge. With soft words of encouragement, her hands worked their magic. They massaged my mom’s belly and feet in specific directions for several minutes. She also used another technique with rubber bands around the big toes for realignment. There was no witchcraft here, I promise 😊 Regardless of the techniques used, this woman was able to bring my mother much needed relief.
I was hardly eight years old when my mom suffered this condition, and my father was overseas for work. Before Urmila aunty came into the picture, I felt so helpless and scared seeing my mother in such awful pain. Urmila aunty was a God sent during those times. She didn’t have a formal education and made a living by doing housework in other people’s homes, but she knew how to help my mom. Out of desperation or necessity, my mom and I turned to her time and time again, in lieu of a doctor, when the need arose. She not only alleviated the pain when it struck but also taught my mom her method in case she wasn’t around. Her foresight came in handy when we moved out of India and the condition returned albeit infrequently.
I have many such stories, especially living and growing up in a country that is mostly uneducated, underprivileged, and extremely patriarchal. Desensitization and disregard come easily in this environment, so it takes concerted effort to not fall into that trap. These informal teachers lack a formal education, but they are masters of their circumstances. Their knowledge is a byproduct of life and its lessons. Sometimes, it’s a byproduct of remedies rooted in the oldest texts passed down from generation to generation.
Credentials and degrees certainly have their place, but wisdom, skill, and compassion can be found in everyday people whose life experiences have equipped them to guide others. Often, the best teachers aren’t teachers at all. It behooves us to keep an open mind, recognize these non-teachers, set our egos and fears aside, and learn from them. There are no limits to learning. Similarly, there are no limits to who teaches us.
As always, I am here to support you all the way. I hope you keep in touch with your stories, thoughts, and feedback. If you wish to learn more, please stop by www.imperfectbodies.com. Lastly, if you enjoyed this information, then please share it with others.
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All the best,
Chaitni