Nothing Good!
“How was your day?”
“Good!”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing!”
For years, this was the standard response I got from the children after school. Never one to be deterred though, I’d redirect, prod, ask specific questions: What did Shriya say about your new drawing pencils? Did Shrinik do somersaults after lunch today also?
You see? The thing is, I could not imagine their school to be a place where nothing happened, and the best adjective for the day was ‘Good!’. I knew for a fact that they listened to their teacher read out stories, they hopped along the number line, slid up and down through graphs, chased butterflies, had turf wars with sticks and stones, played sharks and minnows in the playground, were enthralled as they enacted civil wars, made the artwork that papered the walls of their colorful classroom, and so much more.
Yet. Nothing and Good. Good for Nothing answers both.
Then, something wonderful happened.
Dancers Move!
I started volunteering in elementary school classrooms, as a volunteer – sometimes reading out books, other times, teaching experimental science.
One day, we were experimenting with air pressure and force with the kindergarten children. One of the experiments was to blow bubbles to see how the bubbles stayed airborne. It was a lovely windy day, and the bubbles were a joy to teacher, volunteers, and students alike. There were delighted gasps as large bubbles drifted off into the air, and much chasing after the smaller bubbles.
When finally, the class was done, and we headed back into the classroom, the teacher said, “Oh! They have too much energy. They’ll never settle down to sit and do anything now. Let me get them to release some energy first!” I wondered what she would do, as recess was behind us, and lunch time was a while away.
I started laughing when I saw her switching on some music. “Dancers Move!”, she said, and the children seemed to know what to do. I watched mesmerized as the little ones danced to the music. What a wonderful way to blow off some extra energy?
“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” —Albert Einstein
I thought everyone danced!
I narrated the whole thing to the teenaged son later that day as went on a windy day walk, and he laughed, “Yes! I remember doing that all the time!”
I tell you.
“All those times I asked you how was your day, and you said ‘Good!’, you danced in school?” I said, flustered more by this than the whipping winds.
“Yes…but don’t you see? It was good. Yes. But we did it all the time. It was nothing new.”
“Why do you think I yearned to hear about your days? We didn’t dance in the office!”
“Yes, but we didn’t know that! I thought every one danced!”
I couldn’t help it. I started laughing. It is true isn’t it? He didn’t know what our days were like. If anything, our days were good too. Just not listening-to-stories, playing-with-air-bubbles on windy days, and dancing to let-off-steam good.
So, what do your good days look like? You know? The days you do nothing.
Please share, I’d love to hear.
That seemed like a marvelous way to say goodbye to the rainy week-end. How was your week-end?
Nourish-n-Cherish 