Saturday, December 05, 2015

Carry on, love is coming, love is coming to us all

My commitment to cut through the bullshit in any walk of life means that the atrociously unprofessional all-campus emails flying back and forth (which I have only been observing because, after all, it has been years since I was declared persona non grata!) has gotten me all worked up.

All that while I have been trying my best to figure out what was happening on the other side of the planet with the catastrophic rains and floods.  Not able to communicate with the family while wondering whether they were alright was stressful, to say the least.

Meanwhile there was the mass-shooting down in Southern California.

These were not helping my highly empathetic personality.  I was sure my blood-pressure was through the roof.

I swung by my usual place for the check-up.  Well, my doctor will be happy with such a display:


I suppose I chose my parents well--their genes are certainly the reason behind this, or at least they play a significant role.

With immense relief, I got back to my work. I had no idea such a note from a student was waiting for me:
What has helped me comprehend the way the world is and how it works come from the way that you have asked us to think about them, it is you who have helped me develop a better understanding of the world, not necessarily the content of the course. Sure anyone could post news links and academic articles and instruct students to read them but it is what you ask of us that makes the difference. Your views and questions provide the direction that enables us to see and make the connections that are needed to have a better idea of the world.
That feedback is worth A LOT in my book.  A kind of feedback that money cannot buy.

The grading of the finals will soon begin.  And then it will be time to board the plane and fly to the old country.  I have much to be thankful for, and there is no better (worse?) time than now for me to pay my dues.


3 comments:

Ramesh said...

Oh yes, the BP check was long overdue !!

I rather suspect that if you had checked it after reading the student's feedback, it would have been a lot higher :)

Anne in Salem said...

Just when nothing makes sense in the world, you get a positive. Excellent timing. Perhaps it will be enough to sustain you through the finals. Glad to hear the old country is on the upswing.

Sriram Khé said...

The situation in Chennai is not really on the upswing yet ... A whole bunch of public health problems loom large ... but, it does seem like the young and the old alike are coming together as families, as neighborhoods, as a city, in order to collectively work through the crisis. As Fleetwood Mac sang, "don't stop thinking about tomorrow" ...
(Oh, that was Bill Clinton's campaign song, which means Anne is now ready to jump off the cliff ... stop, stop ... don't jump!!!!!!)
Yes, the end of the term statements from students always remind me that not only is it worth it all but also that my very job is not about me but about students.

Of course checking the BP was long overdue ... aren't you impressed at the healthy numbers though? hehehe ...
Ahem, I checked after getting (a) a home-made cupcake from a student; (b) a thank-you card from a student; (c) a gift from an international student ... despite all that, healthy numbers, my friend ;)