He polishes their dreams…

The little boy was up at 3am. Couldn’t sleep. Today was going to be a big day. It was the first time he had taken part in a contest at school – an elocution contest.

Karan was a bright and hard-working boy. Shy, he preferred to focus on his academics, and occasionally on sports. He was not very talkative, and didn’t have any friend gangs or even any close friends to hang out with. He also didn’t have any fancy toys or perks that other kids his age would get on a platter. In fact, his family was so poor, that even his schooling was a perk.

Karan had recently got admission to one of the best schools in town, after securing the first place in poor but meritorious students’ category. Having been home schooled for the first few years of his life, this was a stupendous achievement, possibly a little too good to be true. The child had to undergo intense scrutiny even after the exams, as the school authorities were just not convinced that a home schooled kid with no resources and external coaching could meet their “high” standards.

Karan had no friends, simply because he was not from an elite background. His classmates were looking for every opportunity to pull him down. Would today be that day….

The topic was interesting enough. “What is the most inspiring thing about your parents’ job / life?” His teacher Ashwin, who knew about his background, nevertheless encouraged him to take this opportunity and take part in the competition. “This is your one chance to stand out and create your identity son” he said.

Karan had nothing to write, or so he used to think. He had spent many sleepless nights thinking about what inspired him most about his dad’s struggle, his profession. And until today, he had nothing to say. Or did he? A thought suddenly struck him….

Karan was the last student to speak. Almost an afterthought. There had been 37 participants, possibly no profession left on earth. Someone’s dad was a scientist, another’s dad was a super successful businessman. One student’s dad was one of the smartest investors on earth. Doctors, lawyers, and so on. Each child had something unique to give, all were good. But 3 of them had stood out so far, you could almost feel the anticipation in the crowd to get past this last entry, and have the winners crowned. His eyes looked for reassurance through the 1000 strong crowd, until he found them. Back in one of the middle rows sat his parents. Waiting with patience, love and warmth. Dad had let go of his daily wage today to attend this event. Karan could not let him and mom down…

“Dear teachers, parents, and friends” he began, “thank you for allowing me this opportunity to speak today”. “I belong to a very humble background” (sneers from a section of the crowd). “My dad is a cobbler” (the auditorium echoed with murmurs and laughter, and two hearts in the audience sank), as the kid continued. “But let me tell you one thing”, he continued with poise, “what I have learnt from my dad, is something that only the most fortunate and privileged child could have” (the laughter died down, as the auditorium tensed up into silence). “My dad is no ordinary man. Every day he fights his destiny, and every day he eeks out a win. He was the brightest and most hard working kid in his school in our home village, and even he had dreams to achieve success and become someone big and famous. But he neither had the resources, nor the luck. The city was not that kind to him. But that is a story for another day.”

“Dad has not let his own failures stopped himself or me from dreaming big. Every day at 6 he starts a brave new journey, as he looks to be better at what he does, and at the same time thinks of what else he can do to change his destiny. And every day he comes back home with a new inspiration for me.

Over the last few years, dad has seen it all. Drooping shoulders, dwindling smiles, anxious hearts, he’s seen them all. Someone is all dreams and confidence, someone is nervous as hell. Whether it is their first interview, or a discussion around promotion. Whether they have had a win or a loss, whether the business is going steady or gone for a toss. They all come to him at the beginning or at the end of the day. Looking for someone to talk to, someone to share their lows and highs, to reassure them that all will be well, and all will continue to stay well.

My dad not only polishes their shoes, he also lifts those drooped shoulders with his words of motivation and his stories. He brings the smiles back on their faces with a joke or an anecdote. Celebrates even their little joys and successes because even those little successes genuinely please him. He may not have made his own career, but how many of theirs would he have silently contributed to?

He has seen their lows and inspired them to fight it out. He has reminded them to not lose sight of their goals, and not to bring in the doubt. And he has kept them measured in joy, and cheerful in pain. In just 5 min every day, he builds a bond with them that has in many cases lasted for years.

He is their friend, if It could be called so. Outside of their family, likely the only person they daily talk to. An anonymous cheer leader, who they can turn to for his perspective on life. Who says, only the successful have something to teach, something to share?

And he comes back home at the end of a long day, smiling and cheerful, as he gladly tells me what he has learnt, tells me something new about life. Over the past 15 years, he has picked up 3 languages only through conversations, picked up immense knowledge about several subjects and topics, and built a perspective on life that few can match. And as he reads late into the night, along with me, he has built that same zeal for learning in me.

You don’t lose my son, he says, when you fall down in life. You lose only when you refuse to stand up again. And so, I see him, stand up again every day, thinking of a way to defeat his destiny and reclaim his life, the life that he could never live. And every day, he vicariously lives that life through the countless journeys of the people who come to him.

He doesn’t just polish their shoes; he polishes their dreams, spotless they shine.
He is not just a cobbler, to them he’s their all-weather friend, and that too, just for a dime.”

As Karan ended his speech, the auditorium was filled with teary eyes. And then with a thunderous standing applause. Do you know who won the first prize that day? Does it matter…??

Every person has something to teach us in life, if only we are willing to learn.

Happy Guru Purnima.