Chicken Soup for the Soul

Yesterday, I read a blog post on 'Chicken Soup for the Soul', and as I looked up from my laptop, straight ahead was my copy of  'Chicken Soup for the Soul'.

First reaction......the nostalgic pull, as the book was part of the going away gift I'd gotten from IDBI, Hyderabad when I was transferred out to Bangalore, way back in 1997. Picked it up...and it had this beautiful personal message. (the little things that make a huge difference). True to what it said, I actually reminiscenced for a bit. So many cherished memories. 

And then I started to browse through the book. As always, within half hour I'll hit some story which brings out the tears. 

It's such feel good stuff, and all true.......the thought in my head was, why is it that newspapers can't carry stuff like this on front page. I think it could alter the texture of the day to so many. 

Alongside instructions on how to read....savor like wine it said, it also spoke of sharing a story, and I decided I should. The book had a dog ear, and I'm putting here the story that was marked out. Another nostalgic connect. It was the story I'd picked to tell a bunch of kids who I used to do weekend spoken English with. I'd thought then it was pertinent to them, but now I see how it's as pertinent to me, us, anyone.

The Magic Pebbles 

"Why do we have to learn all this dumb stuff?". One of the complaints and questions I have heard most frequently from my students. I would answer it by recounting the following legend.

One night a group of nomads were preparing to retire for the evening when suddenly they were surrounded by a great light. They knew they were in the presence of a celestial being. With great anticipation, they awaited a heavenly message of great importance that they knew must be especially for them.

Finally the voice spoke"gather as many pebbles as you can. Put them in your saddle bags. Travel a day's journey and tomorrow night will find you glad and it will find you sad" 

After having departed, the nomads shared their disappointment and anger with each other. They had expected the revelation of a great universal truth that would enable them to create wealth, health and purpose for the world. But instead they were given a menial task that made no sense to them at all. However, the memory of the brilliance caused each one to pick up a few pebbles. 

They traveled a day's journey and that night when they reached into their saddle bags they discovered every pebble had become a diamond. They were glad they had diamonds, and they were sad they had not gathered more pebbles.

It was an experience I had with a student, I shall call Alan, early in my teaching career that illustrated the truth of the legend to me. When Alan was in the eighth grade he majored in trouble and suspensions. He was a bully and a thief.

Everyday I had my students memorize a quotation from a great thinker. As I called roll, I would begin a quotation. To be counted present, the student would be expected to finish the thought.

Alice....'There is no failure except..................."

"In no longer trying......'I'm present, Mr.Schlatter"

So, by the end of the year, my young charges would have memorized 150 great thoughts.

"Think you can, think you can't...either way you're right"

"If you can see the obstacles, you've taken your eyes off the goal"

"A cynic is someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing"

"If you can conceive it, and believe it, you can achieve it"

No one complained of this daily routine more than Alan, right up to the day he was expelled, and I lost touch with him for five years. Then one day, he called. He was in a special program with one of the neighboring colleges and had just finished parole.

He told me that after being sent to juvenile hall and finally being shipped off to California Youth Authority for his antics, he had become so disgusted with himself that he had taken a razor blade and cut his wrists.

He said "You know what Mr.Schlatter, as I lay there with my life running out of my body, I suddenly remembered that dumb quote you made me write twenty times one day. "There is no failure except in no longer trying". Then it suddenly made sense to me. As long as I was alive, I wasn't a failure, but if I allowed myself to die, I would most certainly die a failure. So with my remaining strength, I called for help and started a new life".

At the time he had heard the quotation, it was a pebble. When he needed guidance in a moment of crisis, it had become a diamond. And so it to you I say, gather all the pebbles you can, and you can count on a future filled with diamonds.

John Wayne Schlatter

I really wish every teacher and every school could just incorporate this into system. So many pebbles.....so many great thoughts imbibed. So simple and profound a habit. Wonderful stuff .