No More Kids Talk

Yesterday 2 of my ex-students visited me, mainly to talk about their work and discuss on their future. When I was their age, I only knew how to grab all opportunities fell upon my head, and never paused for a moment to reflect on whether the job will benefit me in long term, neither did I think about my future, much. 

I know I shouldn't refer them as kids anymore. I am glad that I am the first person they think of when they want a solution - glad not because I am crazy and I love to listen to problems. Glad because they have grown up, grown more mature and they talked about very sensible things that I don't hear from friends my age these days. I am thirst for sensible and no-nonsense talks these few years. 

I've promised not to disclose the content of our conversations with Mr I and Ms AT yesterday, but one statement - they've truly amazed me with their respective levels of confidence and self-assurance. In the past 4 years, I've heard of friends my age telling me things like: "You think you are so clever. You don't know a thing you said". I didn't bother to defend, because I always believe if I am good, I am good. I don't depend on others' assurances to live. I've heard too many words that hurt my feelings because they said to me when they claimed they were depressed (well, I've never come to know whether they have a minute of no-depression, honestly) and didn't bother to send a word of apology after that. I've also heard of too many stupid questions that I've become immune to them but I make sure I won't become one of them.

Yesterday was a refreshing experience for me, and I believe from now onwards my life will be better because even if most things don't go the way I want, I believe my teaching hasn't gone down the drain. My students have assimilated my every word, and now they have become persons I want them to be. I am happy, and I feel like I can enjoy a good cuppa now to relax, before I advance to my next level of challenge. 

Mr I said to me when I had "worried" written across my forehead: "Cher, I'm not going to react to words of incompetent people. I know my vision and missions, and I am going to strive towards them". 

Ms AT said to me before she left my office: "I'm always strong. I know this is just a testing period. Thanks for your encouraging words. I know I will pull myself out of this dark period very soon and I will train myself to have an optimal good mix of rationality and intuition from now on". 

In the blink of an eye, kids no more kidding ...