Category: Children Of Tomorrow

A Bart ride one afternoon…!

DawnLeave a comment

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This afternoon for some reason instead of taking Uber I decided to take Bart.

When you are not used to public transport for long time, it can freak you out. I was making sure I am getting into the right train and then when I did get into one, I made sure I am sitting at a seat which is near the door and was constantly looking at the window to check which station it is.

“Time goes faster the more hollow it is. Lives with no meaning go straight past you, like trains that don’t stop at your station.” ~ Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I had been a heavy user of public transport when I was in Toronto, Canada and to tell you the truth I enjoyed it even though the initial radar of alertness was always there about your surroundings but that I don’t look at as inexperience. I rather feel one should be cautious about their surroundings always.

“You can’t understand a city without using its public transportation system.” ~ Erol Ozan

Bart, I always have heard negative things whether it’s about the issues with the riders or with the train itself. All these thoughts were going through my mind but being positive as my habit I enjoyed the ride. Few people were getting off as their destination arrived and the train was getting empty or rather it was getting more spacious.

I saw three kids – I can say because there was a boy who could be of 4- 5 years old and he was being referred as Chris. Chris was getting bored and restless and one can see that because the other two people (boy and a girl) who looked as if they are a couple but very young may be around 18-19 years old and I don’t know their names. Chris was so restless that he started lying down on the seat and later on the floor of the train and I wondered why he is doing like that and how come the couple doesn’t say anything to him.

As I was thinking about it, the girl started calling him, Chris, get up why are you being like this? And the boy had no response.

After long time Chris got up and sat on the seat and I was in between busy looking at the name of the station as the train stopped.

“The easiest way to meet people is to just look like someone who is willing to listen” ~ Robert Brault

The girl who was sitting with her boyfriend, looking at me she said, Ma’am are you a therapist by any chance?

I looked at her and smiled and said, ‘Why? You need help for Chris?

She smiled back at me as if nodding yes!

I looked at Chris who was turning his back to me and looking at his mother (by now I heard the conversation where she said you are not listening to your mom).

In a friendly way, I said – Chris, want to be my friend? Give me hi-five!

The mother or the girl as I referred above, said Chris see the lady wants to be your friend. At this, Chris got shy and he started hiding his face.

By that time the boy who was sitting next to Chris’s mother said, why you taking help from strangers?

The girl/mother replied, well you’re not helping me either, so I asked for help at least it will keep him away from misbehaving.

It just took me to think, teenage lovers and probably became mother and all these responsibilities. I felt bad for Chris, because he needed someone who can understand him and probably spend time with him.

“Sometimes the greatest adventure is simply a conversation.” ~ Amadeus Wolfe

I wish I could do something, but I cannot. As the train stopped at my destination, I got up from my seat and waved at Chris, saying Bye Chris, take care.

The mother/girl, immediately asked Chris to say – bye! He was still shy and instead the mother said – Bye lady and you have a great day and thank you!

I smiled back waving at her saying you too!

I reached home and shared the story with my daughter because she is 19 years old and I shared how I felt for that girl and her child.

Sometimes, kids are not kids anymore and those who are kids they don’t get to be kids anymore!!! ~ Dawn

~ Dawn

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Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that…!!!

DawnLeave a comment
Today I marched in support of the student’s movement ‘Our lives matter’, ‘March for Our Lives’, protest against guns and gun violence.It’s funny that when I was growing up, I never had to get into any such activity. What I love about my childhood is that there might be great matters that adults involved in bringing their voice together but as a child in school I never had to protest or do a march against anything and I take that as a blessing for my life in those days.
Imagine today’s kids are not only stressed about getting good grades or understand a particular problem or concept for exam but also worry about their existence … being alive.

It’s a shame on us!!! We enjoyed our childhood and didn’t make sure that it continues the same or better for our next and many future generations to enjoy that childhood in peace. I have marched for many such protests in this country and each time it was for an equality cause. Sometimes it was due to the inequality, for LGBTQA, for Women and now for Children – it breaks my heart. I was marching along and on and off my eyes fill with tears because whenever I think or see a child I go back to my days and its such a pleasure to be there that I have often said to myself – “wish I could go back and pause that moment”.

“Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr. 

It’s sad when I see kids marching for their lives.
Many motivational speeches were made by students, teachers, and representatives and then someone gave a speech calling out the President of America as the “orange guy”. It put me off there and then itself.
What are we talking about? Peace? Equality? When are we going to learn to respect one another? When? You talk about change and equality and peace but at the same time you put a racist remark and there goes your equality, change and peace.

“An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind”

People take anger and courage as one, people were marching against gun laws and the anger is towards the current administration but I don’t think one can solve anything with anger.
It was amazing how the crowd out there was all about peace and for the children when two students came to me and said can we ask a question and I said sure!

“Do you think there should be cops in schools for protection”?, my answer straight came from my heart as ‘No’!
Because school should not need protection. Schools need more facility and support for education. You need more teachers, students, principal and books. There is no need of guns, a protection as long as teachers are doing their job of teaching and protecting the kids. I went to a school in India and my school don’t have a cop, military or even a gun. The students completely agreed with my opinion as they also felt there is no need of another armed personnel in the school.
I strongly believe, to bring real peace we need to love our enemies. It is tough but we have to be realistic and think about it before its too late. Love your enemy because hatred is only going to bring hatred, anger and revenge then. Let’s not call anyone names, lets be human and ask for peace! March only for PEACE!

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

~ Dawn

“Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.”

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“A desire to help others and give to the world before saying adios to this place, it was that desire as a seed, seeded inside me and Good Gigs let that seed sprout out.

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What is born needs to be nourished well for it to grow and spread the good health across and hence Children were always special to my heart.

By helping and supporting the education for children will layout the foundation that will let these children to grow and flourish and spread the goodness across and this will multiply, so at Delta Utah my focus was children throughout and hence the planning to make sure the training we give to the teacher initiators and teachers are easy enough to adapt and in return the teacher’s roll this out to kids in an easier manner.

“Every child you encounter is a divine appointment” ~ Wess Stafford

In doing this, the preparation brought the best of the minds together to brainstorm and the outcome was incredible.

It was not easy to be frank. When we prepared our training deck, it was easy to believe that we captured every detail to show how the tool works. The challenge was how to deliver this simple deck to the teacher initiators who are actually well educated with full of awareness. Teaching a teacher is a challenge and believe me or not it needs lot of preparation, guts and confidence to hold their hands and walk along with them.

Good thing to be part of technology industry where it allows you to play with the tool and learn the hard way. To get to the level of each teacher initiator based on their understanding of the technology and then take that ride to a standard level was a worth learning experience for me personally, as it helped me to learn from the teachers and the details of the tools as well.

How to teach without intimidating and be part of the learner group to discover and explore the findings.

The teacher initiators and teachers loved each and every small thing that they learned about technology be it a copy/paste or right click and select. It taught me how simple things can bring happiness to you it doesn’t have to be expensive that costs money.

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated”~ Confucius 

Though VMware and Dell and other institutions took that expense to support this cause and the result was happiness, full of confidence, achievement and looking forward with technology in mind as a goal. It was an emotional ride for everyone be it the Millard School District High-School members, teacher initiators and teachers, people of Delta Utah or even the students of Millard School District schools – it is an emotional bonding that lead us to win everyone’s heart, it’s the people!

The personal touch with each training helped me to connect with each individual of Delta Utah that we associated with. Be it CoSN, SEDC, Millard District Office members, teacher initiators… the parting was painful yet the emails and connections through messages is keeping this bondage going with the hope to support each other going forward.

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The motivation, giving confidence to make that first mistake and letting them to correct themselves with support, perseverance, and letting others to grow is the key to be a leader.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you’re a leader.” ~ John Quincy Adams

While doing all this, there was not a single thought of what I am getting out of this because all my actions and thoughts were triggered towards to give the best to them to make a success for their day to day life. In doing so I learnt a lot from others about the approach, individual thought process, perceptions, emotions and vulnerability, those hugs and caring moments all adds up to climb the tallest mountain in the world. To let others to flourish with your support is the key I learnt in my leadership role.

There is no race, there is no game, because we all are in this game and have to make the team be comfortable. It doesn’t matter who made the goal in the goal-post as long as we have made efforts to make that goal to win the game. ☺

 

This Good Gig has given me an opening to the world which I was thinking to enter after my retirement but I guess I don’t have to wait that long if I have to do a good gig I can do it anytime. The journey continues for me… and I am happy if you want to hop along with me ☺

“Never get tired of doing little things for others sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts”

~ Dawn

You always put your family first…How true is it?

DawnLeave a comment

I was just going through my postal mail when I saw a mail coming from Canada.
I opened it and it had these lines “You always put your family first… and we want to help.”
It was about the government program for the Canadian citizens for the Universal Child Care Benefit, for Children’s Fitness Tax Credit, for Post-Secondary education and much more…!
Such a nice thought isn’t it that a country thinks so much about your kids and family and I am thinking what we do to make this family happy, healthy and flourishing?
The other day at lunch time one of my friend said, ‘we all say hello – hi by sitting in different rooms of one single house to each other – i.e. kids and parents’ and she said remember when we were kids how we used to have our family sitting together whether it’s near the dinner table or near the fire place, it used to have so much meaning and bonding that even when my parents are not there I still miss them and value their teaching and try to induce those in my kids. But what can I do…they are growing up here and it’s all about computers and internet.
It took me to my childhood days. Growing up in NDA always induced certain discipline element in us and hence there was no question as why we have to come to dining table to eat our dinner or snacks. It was understandable if you don’t reach to the breakfast table at 8.30 a.m. then no one has time to wait for you and everyone will finish their breakfast and move on with their daily routine. The person who used to come late will always feel that guilt as he or she has to sit alone on the dining table and eat the breakfast without having anyone to talk to. Those days it used to hurt but the best things that I remember even today is from those moments.
We used to have our evening tea time when my mom and dad used to come from work and I used to make tea for them and some snacks – either I make it by following the recipe from the magazine or the cookies that my mom used to bring from Canteen – either way it was a refreshing moment for my parents who come all the way from work tired driving and having a sip of tea along with those snacks they would look at us and ask what happened today at school? What made us happy and what was not so good according to us.
I was known to be a story teller as I have a way to describe each and every detail of that single day. I will even describe what our teacher was wearing and how my friend and myself were discussing about a topic on dad’s after reading a story from Reader’s digest – all this used to be shared there and in between I will see my brother fighting to get in his point and so forth. When we both kids are satisfied with our stories and we are done with our tea, I will see my mom sharing her office issues and concerns and dad as always giving solutions to it. I have always seen such sessions as family time which I see in today’s time we lack. Our kids are growing without knowing what family value is, they are thrown into stuff where parents think we are keeping them busy with all kinds of programs and extracurricular activities. The child though keeps hearing about family and family values through books or movies…but if we don’t implement them ourselves how are they going to even get to see a glimpse of it?
I have never seen my parents fighting though there will be instances where my mom may not agree with my dad on certain topics but they both had their justification to it and no one’s ego was crushed. That’s called understanding.

Today kids eat in their room or they may end up eating by watching TV or reading books…we are becoming more social on the internet though face book and twitter but in reality we are so far in same house but sitting in different rooms.
There was a time when families in India used to live in one room with 2-3 siblings and yet they all were able to live and have their privacy – today we have rooms for each member in the house and what’s the use we go in those rooms and sit and socialize and make visual friends. You add your friends up to 500 on face book and you feel good about it. In reality physically how many friends do you go to with whom you can chat and discuss things where in your friend can straight tell you on your face what you are doing is right or wrong or even consider thinking about certain things which is for your own goodness? If you ever happen to have such friends also people will break the friendship with such because they don’t like anyone to show them the mirror. But then how are we going to bring this change into our life, when we talk about the continuous change and collaboration and family concept?
MK Gandhi, said to see a change that you would like to bring in implement in you first…(not exactly in those words) but you need to change yourself first to see that change around you.
Sadly, social networks are making money and adding more and more applications to keep everyone busy only to see each individual is kept busy with activities whether it is on the net or on the programs such as swimming, soccer etc.
Companies will grow and mint money but the families won’t be there to live together. The mere concept of it is eradicating from our society and yet when someone tries to bring the change – how well this change is faced? How much are we thinking what’s good for our kids? Again, the note from the Canadian mail reminds me the words ‘You Always Put Your Family First…” Do we?
Can we help ourselves first and then seek help later if needed?
“Family faces are magic mirrors.  Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future” ~ Gail Lumet Buckley

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“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

Dawn18 Comments

This weekend was full of events, as you can judge from my last post…it was a weekend of birthdays!! Besides my mom there was another angel who turned one year and so one of our friends who’s age… I don’t think we need to know .. lol!!!

Yes and I want to wish my friend Manish ‘Happy Birthday’ and to all others ‘Happy Sankrant’, I know this day is known in different parts of state differently in India.

Please accept my best wishes to all!!!

“May you have love that never ends, lots of money and lots of friends. Health be yours, whatever you do and may God send many blessings to you.”

In all these celebrations I also happened to watch Aamir Khan’s movie ‘Taare Zameen Pe’!!! (Stars on the earth)

Yes as you all know it was a very controversial year that passed for Aamir and then this movie as well but overall I loved the movie…I liked every aspect that Aamir is trying to bring in to the competition world and I would say specially the Indian community who just load their kids with pressure just to maintain their prestige.

When I saw this movie – I found that it touched every age of the audience, every child and every parent was emotional! There was lot of learning and education that was left in the minds of people and I think one should take it with a pinch of salt – a positive outlook!

As philosophical we say theory is possible but not in practical but then if we keep thinking like this and not take that first stab then I don’t think anyone can change this world of cruelty! Yes I will agree with Aamir where he says this is worst than Child Labor!!!!

“Aim for the stars and maybe you’ll reach the sky”

I came to work and with my couple of friends we were discussing and according to them they don’t agree what Aamir is trying to portray as they say no one wants their kid to be dumb and want to be the best and should be scoring highest as that’s the trend and that’s what is expected in the society or else you are not well respected! If one gets 94% and another gets 98% then 98 scored person and his/her parents display that with pride.

“To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don’t worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest”

I am not sure I was ever exposed to such society or may be my parents never put that pressure and they never took us to such a social aspect where really they were breeding horses that can run fast and win every race :)!
But they say that is the world and I can see in US itself some of the Indian community has created this pressure and you will see the schools called Challengers and what not…!!

Come on! What are we giving to our kids….a place where they have to loose their childhood before even they get into it and as they are born parents decide what their kids are going to be and how much they have to score and which school they need to attend??? Boy I would abandon such parents as all I can get from them is pressure and pressure and only scolding or ‘chakde’ to score more :O

“Don’t try to fix the students; fix ourselves first. The good teacher makes the poor student good, and the good student superior. When our students fail, we as teachers, too, have failed.” ~ Marva Collins

Some how I still agree with what Aamir has tried send the message across…not stretch the finger so much that it breaks….let your child’s talent come out in such a way that it can become his career and bread earning factor!!!!

“Education is a companion which no future can depress, no crime can destroy, no enemy can alienate it and no nepotism can enslave.” ~ Ropo Oguntimehin

I agree every child is special but also every child has a right to grow happily and peacefully with a bit of patience and lots of love

Taare Zameen Pe – indeed we are stars of our parents and we are on earth let’s give them an opportunity to shine here rather than in the sky!!!

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” ~Stacia Tauscher

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A characteristic of the normal child is he doesn’t act that way very often

Dawn7 Comments

I was wondering why one keep saying I wanted my kid to be like this and like this. This means they are trying to bring certain values or teachings that probably according to them is good or supposed to be good and there children should have!

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” ~Stacia Tauscher

Looking at this complicated world and the time, I start thinking how my parents or even any parents of those times taught there kids good values…?

Well, all I can remember about my parents is that they never told me what to do. I was never taught I should be doing this or that. In fact rather than preaching they practiced. I learn certain things seeing what my parents did, how situations they handled and what kind of decisions were made. What one should say in front of others and what may offend others.

“Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they’re going to catch you in next.” ~Franklin P. Jones

The other day I met a lady for the first time, she had her 1 year old son who was calling his dad by name. I found it very natural though the mother started explaining, I teach him so many good things which he never remembers or never says but he calls his daddy by name which I never taught him.

It sounded funny but I said, because he hears what you call your husband. And true, kids learn from us by observing us and not by what we teach them…probably that’s why they say the school begins at home!

“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” ~John W. Whitehead, The Stealing of America, 1983

I think the message is that never try to teach kids something that you don’t practice or else try to practice and then see how the kid learns faster!

“Children seldom misquote. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn’t have said.” ~Author Unknown

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