Wealth in a teacher’s legacy

ANY person who retires on a salary that seems good for that time soon feels the impact of cruel inflation that spontaneously erodes the original value of his monthly retirement payment, one that he was used to living on quite comfortably just a few years ago.

The affected person feels cheated and impoverished unless he is fortunate to have once been an educator who accidentally happens to bump again into one of his former students.

“Hello, sir, how are you doing? You look just the same. Are you still teaching?”

And in a few minutes, a sudden, forced flashback occurs as you battle to recall the era, the school, the grade, the name, the subject you taught this child who has now grown into a young man.

He proudly declares that he has become a doctor, lawyer, accountant, or owns his own cabinet-making business.

“I work from home. Am my own boss. I work flexible hours.”

Another past pupil, once a young lass now married with children but able to hold her own in essentially a man’s world, remarks: “I am an engineer, sir. Hated that section on electricity but here I am, working in power generation!”

And yet another: “I have just been promoted to manager of an optometry firm at the Pavilion!”

The list is endless.

Some of these kids most probably gave you a hard time in class, each battling to establish an identity of their own, each struggling to survive in the mad jungle termed a classroom.

You perceive that each of these past pupils is actually showing gratitude, some without actually saying it.

And you go away reflecting that you are not really poor any longer.