Often, it so happens that we listen to some stories, learn through others experiences and find that they disrupt our accepted paradigms, change our notions and inspire us to be more than our present selves.
Jo was very inspiring on the stage and since she is an expert and understands needs of special kids, it was a cake walk for her to talk to non-special TEDsters kids...
First: They raise the bar...
Second: They change the story...
Our current education system discourages team work, collaborative learning, practical skills, emphasis on communication skills which form the basis of successful carreer, enterprise, society, nation and the world as a whole.
But, these kids have to rely completely on teamwork and other skills to accomplish basic tasks...
Since they are so unique, they create their own world and in the course of learning in this world, they offer us a glimpse into their own beautiful world..
eg. the girl in the pics below intended to teach dance to the other kid and you can see what happened.
They teach us tenderness, empathy and compassion towards others as well as ourselves.
Four: They slow us down...
In the fast pace, eat on the go, sleep during travel only; life of ours, they tell us to take time out to put on our shirt buttons, tie shoe lace, wipe drooling face, stand and listen to the sound of the slow wind passing by, hear the rain drops, take days to build the simple puzzle...
Five: They raise us up...
They tell us to get over and get started to live more than our present self. They by smiling at us while a catheter runs down their stomach, feeding tube running down their body tell us; to once again take a look at our so called "problems".
Six: They cut the crap...
We live in this world where we care too much and listen way too much about how the world perceives us and donot look at the internal evaluation system...which so profound and so intelligent...They look at themselves naturally through this internal mirror and hence are able to naturally reflect so much to this world. So we have to think and devise ways of how we can be included in their world rather than focusing on their 'inclusion'. They cut the crap totally...
Seven: They remind us who we are...
They remind us that we are human beings...
They remind us that we have weaknesses and vulnerabilities..
They remind us that we need ...people.. our fellow human beings...
Now for the '8th thing' : It is the knowledge, that is with the 7 mothers; who chose that by giving birth to this kid, they were not doing the kid a favor, but were doing themselves and this world a favor.
When we grow old someone will have to wipe our base, someone will have to feed us, someone will have learn the '7 things'... so like the number 8, which comes back to itself again and again, we'll too go through the same experience again and again...
Here i want to narrate one such beautiful, inspiring and divine talk given by Jo Chopra, Executive Director- Latika Roy foundation, at TEDxNarimanpoint.
Not that other talks were less inspiring, but this talk touched like no one else. It had a character of its own.
you will have to listen to the talk to know what it is, but i am sharing here few notes that i made alongside.
pls note that the pics have been taken from Jo Chopra's blog
pls note that the pics have been taken from Jo Chopra's blog
Jo was very inspiring on the stage and since she is an expert and understands needs of special kids, it was a cake walk for her to talk to non-special TEDsters kids...
She highlighted that out of every 100 pregnant mothers across the globe having kids detected with 'Down's Syndrome', 93 invariably choose to abort, but those 7 who choose otherwise do so, because they know the '8th thing' in addition to the '7 things'.
The special kids are special in an unusual way because they do not fit into boxes and hence are so fundamentally unique to the core(we all are, but we act like we are thinking and get ourselves wagging in the boxes), that their presence in this world itself; gives us a possibility to see and live in an entirely different way.
First: They raise the bar...Special kids teachers are not our regular teachers, they have to be very creative, they have to be more patient, they have to be more student oriented(for each one is a unique kid with different needs).
So, the special kids' teachers are the most creative teachers existing in this world...
So, the special kids' teachers are the most creative teachers existing in this world...
Second: They change the story...
Our current education system discourages team work, collaborative learning, practical skills, emphasis on communication skills which form the basis of successful carreer, enterprise, society, nation and the world as a whole.
But, these kids have to rely completely on teamwork and other skills to accomplish basic tasks... eg. if a kid is unable to read but comprehend due to problems with speech, the other kid who can read does that for him and together they are one team towards the goal of learning a new story or a moral..so these kids are highly accomplished team players..and know how to grow with collaborative efforts
Third:They teach and train...
Since they are so unique, they create their own world and in the course of learning in this world, they offer us a glimpse into their own beautiful world..
eg. the girl in the pics below intended to teach dance to the other kid and you can see what happened.
They teach us tenderness, empathy and compassion towards others as well as ourselves.
Four: They slow us down...In the fast pace, eat on the go, sleep during travel only; life of ours, they tell us to take time out to put on our shirt buttons, tie shoe lace, wipe drooling face, stand and listen to the sound of the slow wind passing by, hear the rain drops, take days to build the simple puzzle...
Five: They raise us up...
They tell us to get over and get started to live more than our present self. They by smiling at us while a catheter runs down their stomach, feeding tube running down their body tell us; to once again take a look at our so called "problems".Six: They cut the crap...
We live in this world where we care too much and listen way too much about how the world perceives us and donot look at the internal evaluation system...which so profound and so intelligent...They look at themselves naturally through this internal mirror and hence are able to naturally reflect so much to this world. So we have to think and devise ways of how we can be included in their world rather than focusing on their 'inclusion'. They cut the crap totally...
Seven: They remind us who we are...They remind us that we are human beings...
They remind us that we have weaknesses and vulnerabilities..
They remind us that we need ...people.. our fellow human beings...
Now for the '8th thing' : It is the knowledge, that is with the 7 mothers; who chose that by giving birth to this kid, they were not doing the kid a favor, but were doing themselves and this world a favor.
When we grow old someone will have to wipe our base, someone will have to feed us, someone will have learn the '7 things'... so like the number 8, which comes back to itself again and again, we'll too go through the same experience again and again...
naaice :)
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