Put Your Heart into It

Last Friday our English teacher introduced a hag of an old guy who said he was a teacher all life. He was to share his experiences and advance some tips for us to do better in our lives. He began that some seventy years ago when he was leaving for the capital after doing his SLC, his father gave him eighty rupees and said, “Bobby, I can’t help you any further. You try to rely upon yourself. One thing remember : whatever you do, put your heart into it”.

Born and brought up in a remote village of Illam, he could hardly make out its connotation at that time. Then he asked if any one of us could make its heads or tails. The class went pin drop silence for a few seconds till a famous back bencher though popular, mostly with girls, ventured to guess it. As he stood to answer, all eyes turned to him where particularly the maiden eyes had indeed very rare glint in them. As such, he also had found ways to wink most of them as flashes and make them blush to their ears. Turning to the guest then he said “I think putting one’s heart into it means to devote heart and soul to what one does, just” casting a glance to his fans with a twitch of killing smile he concluded “as I do to my dear pals.” He blew a lovely kiss again towards the girls and sat down amid a hilarious laughter.
After enjoying a while the delight of the hour, the old man continued “Well hero, my congratulation but then for the benefit of your less adroit friends in the art of putting their hearts in it and turning a hero like you, why don’t you disclose the secret of doing it ?”

“Well sir, to be frank, I’d love to keep this art within myself so there would be no one challenging my domain and isn’t being such clever and careful about one’s chosen matter the best example of putting one’s heart into it ?”

After the suspension of the second uproar of laughter, the old man persisted “Of course young man, I adore your rare contrivance yet I urge very earnestly to furnish at least with one or two examples.”
“Well sir, in that case, let me just make hints about the more obvious one’s like the cares paid on my own get up and preparedness for every opportune praise and accessories, which are most effective in this aspect of life.” After the third course of laughter the old man changed the topic and said “How about study ? Should not it have the first preference ?” The boy was ready for that too when he said “Well sir, I’m not bad in study either but, as you said, my ‘chosen subject’ receives my first preference.”

The old man then with a hearty laugh added “All the best, my dear !” Then switching to the next boy, he asked “Pray you tall guy there, what are you putting your heart into ?” He was prompt too in his response. He said “Mine is all study, sir.” The old man eyed him studiously and added “Any proof ?” The boy replied “Whatever may satisfy you, sir, my pleasure”. The old man said “If so, please say who the publisher of your English textbook is and whichever edition you are using.” The boy thought a minute then with a deep flush said “Sorry, sir, I’ve got no idea about both things.” With an amused smile the old man said “Then you haven’t put your heart into it well, have you ?” The boy felt more ashamed and kept blushing deeper. His neighbour advanced instead “But are such extra information much necessary in the textual study ?” The old man with a slight twitch on his lips said “You mean for your study you don’t need to know your teacher’s familial as well as educational backgrounds and his allied aptitudes, do you ?” Now was his turn to blush profusely and he made an excuse “I didn’t mean that, sir, and added “I mean the teacher and the textbook are much apart.” But he did not sound strong enough in his conviction. However his teacher, a silent observer so far, interfered “Of course they are not of primary importance but they show how careful, interested and aware you are in related matters of your study. In fact, they help make your knowledge integrated, broad and strong enough. They add to the store of your knowledge and enhance your confidence”. Kamala, a girl in the opposite row remarked rather amusingly “In other words, apart from assisting you, they would prove your putting your heart into it !” Following another break out of laughter, she added “But then if I surmise most people fail to put their heart into their job as completely and sincerely as it could and should have been, may I be wrong ?”

The old man jumped up “Nay, you won’t. Instead, it is a universal truth that none seems successful to put his or her heart literally well into one’s work. Had they been able to do so, we would have all men Rama and Krishna, Buddha and Gandhi, Lincoln and Lenin instead of the flocks throughout the globe lamenting perpetually following hundreds of grievances every decade, every age and every eon.” But Kamala butted again “Contrarily sir, even you referred them as modals yet if they were successful in putting their heart in their mission” she stared around and continued “Rama wouldn’t have been a broken hearted man seriously criticized and wouldn’t have committed suicide following the suit of his wife. Krishna wouldn’t have to take one after another incarnation infinitely. Similarly Buddha wouldn’t have been compelled to render himself into statues wherefrom he is forced to keep watching men and women continuously molested under his own shadow nor Gandhi would have been killed. Lenin, similarly wouldn’t have been shot while alive and demolished even several decades after death nor Lincoln would nave the same fate followed by unending hatred and strife and misery caused thereby among men under a number of excuses like caste, colour, class, creed and else.”

A dead silence wrapped the class for a minute or two until the first guy from the back bench again broke it with a coughing and fairly serious this time assessed “But I think perhaps there must be a demarcation concerning putting ones heart between general and particular liability. As such every one is liable to the latter one while the former belongs to wider dimension, variegated treatment and special personae and still a business never well accomplished at all.”

Now the old man as suddenly found an outlet, concluded with a warm thanks-giving. He said “Very lively discussion, children, felt greatly delighted, thank you. To sum up at the end, indeed, putting one’s heart is important to achieve success but it is subject to perspectives- mainly general and particular. The ordinary man is liable in putting his or her heart in his or her particular goal whereas the superior personae, in the general welfare of the states and the mankind as a whole. But it also appeared through the discussion that putting one’s heart literally is an idealism that being subject to several conditions, is never realized fully perfect and only needs to pursue persistently on and on.”

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