Teacher | My Journey So Far….

Helen Keller is an inspiration, not only for those who are deaf and blind but to all of us who have eyes and ears, but still can not see or feel the beauty around us.

“The Story Of My Life”, is the autobiography of Helen Keller, depicting her struggles and their overcoming. This book is about her early life, mostly of first 22 years of her life.

Helen Keller, was 19 months old, when due to a severe illness, she lost her eyes and hearing abilities. Later, she also becomes mute. Her autobiography “The Story Of My Life”, shows her daily conflicts in very descriptive manners, specially the way she explored everything around her. Mainly her difficulties in making herself understood to others, like her parents and housemaids. Surprisingly even after all of these difficulties of her life, she became to be a great writer and inspiration to the whole world.

If any person can have the credits to making Helen Keller, the way she is known to everyone today, this credit should go to her Teacher and mentor, Miss Anne Sullivan. In her autobiography Helen has written about how her world was dull and without any hope, till she met her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who brought light and love to Helen’s world. She made her independent enough to live with dignity and not a self pitying physically challenged person.

What makes it happen?

It’s language, learning and books; and lots of patience from her teacher. Anne Sullivan was herself suffering from an eye infection which later took her eye sight completely. She tried to teach Helen by writing letters on her hand, for each word. Specifically the first word that Helen learnt – Water, was the life changing event for her. The way it was written in the book, it makes the whole scene come alive. It was the most beautiful experience what Helen went through when she learned that everything in this world has a name, a word assigned to it.

Helen also wrote about her relationship with her teacher, Anne Sullivan, and her friendship with Oliver Wendell Holmes. This book also had few of the letters shared with her. She also wrote about her first devastating experience of finding out that the first story that she has written is actually already written by someone else, much before her. She clarifies her stand by saying that everything that she has learnt is actually being told by someone or, she has read from others books. So she may have read the story in her childhood but she now has no memory of it.

Her autobiography is turned into many inspiring films too. two of them, which stands out are “The Miracle Worker” and “Black”. See my review of both here.

It’s a good read whenever you want to get inspired and feel positive about your life and life’s blessings.

When I started Crocheting... — When I started Crocheting…

Recently I got a new Hobby – Crocheting.

It turned out so much fun that I am kinda hooked on it, literally. 🙂

But it’s not the first time I hold a crochet hook in my hands. In fact, I don’t even remember, when I did it the first time. :O

I must be in 6^th or 7^th standard, when I got enrolled into Home Science classes. I didn’t wanted to, as cooking and home science was an alien subject to me at that time. I would have preferred meeting an alien than joining a home science class. Only problem, it was compulsory to attend. All the girls have to take home science as one of their subject.

What does being in an Home Science class meant?

It meant that I have to learn about decorating a home, have to show my cooking expertise to my teachers, have to learn crochet and sewing too, in short, have to learn everything that a good girl/women should know in order to run a household. Phew!!!

It was the most difficult subject of mine at that time. But since I was too little to do anything on my own, I was sure that my Mother would aid me. Actually, I hoped that she would make all the stuff for me, and I will simply take all the credit. Silly me. 😦

My parents come from the value system where helping someone means aiding them in doing stuff not doing it for them. Now I can understand how it has helped me in making me what I am, Independent. But at that time, I was so disappointed just knowing that I have to hold the crochet hook in my own hands to complete my assignments.

My Mother introduced me to crochet and I made few patterns also. One lamp cover, handkerchiefs, and may be a television cover. I don’t remember exactly, was it a table cover or a television cover. I hated it. Hated it so much that I was happy to change my school next year, just because then I won’t have to attend home science classes any more.

I didn’t liked the classes but I liked the way all girls used to compete with each other. Showing their art and craft in the most stylish ways, sprinkling them with color bombs, adding every known and unknown glittering thing on their projects. Their food didn’t tasted good but it looked as it had directly came out of a master chef’s kitchen. The fattest teachers used to judge the food competition, and she used to look at the food as if it was a piece of art in an art gallery. I hated that particular teacher for that particular day only. Sometimes, I used to think that one day I’ll become a teacher so that I can splurge on all these tasty delicacies made by students. LOL. What life ambitions I had?

Now that all this is over I am happy to pick up my long lost hobby of Crocheting and I am enjoying it this time. Till now, I have made a baby cap and boots and one waffle stitch scarf.

Let’s see how far it goes this time.