The Essence of Thoughtful Learning

Nuhuta Tunyi  

Our four months training here at the ATI will go down in my memory as one of the finest periods in time. We, the probationers had our own share of ups and downs. The authority had been meticulously stringent, all for the good reasons. By all means, the lows are readily discarded and forgotten, while all possible measures are adopted to build upon the highs. The important thing was, we learned all the way. Learning is a lifelong process, never will it end.  

Every step you take, every conversation you make, every picture you look, every dream you imagine; it teaches you. Life as an administrator is always going to be a challenge. There will be endless tasks which need attention and conscientious decisions. There will be times of overtime working and sleepless nights, times when you feel like the whole world is upon you. There are also times when you feel like, you are on top of the world, as confided by a senior NCS officer. The prospect of facing these kinds of situations, the related adventures and the life it promises are so exciting that you feel privileged to be a part of the hallowed service. As we reach towards the end of the ATI training programme, we feel we are getting sufficiently equipped and ready to face challenges, at least, the tip of an iceberg of what we expect in real life. We still have eight months of training to go. We still have lots of things to learn before we become really ready for independent life. There was a suggestion from another senior NCS Officer that administrators function as NCS Officer-cum-doctor-cum-engineer-cum-Mathematics and Science teacher. I feel there is not much exaggeration in this. Instead, there is a definite beauty; a challenge we are ready to take. The demand for work is high. The job involves directly dealing with the people. Making correct decisions in arising situations always play a crucial role in a service career. It can make or break a career. For this, we need to possess the right attitude and the right approach. We must have strong background knowledge of the existing government rules and acts, and the powers that be, that have been placed under the purview of an officer.  

In life, we often tend to be drifted away by non-seriousness in life; all so nonchalant and casual that we sometimes fail to distinguish between the truth and the lie, the serious and the jest. There is definite merit in giving importance to all small details in life. Every situation that occur, happen for a reason. There is the need to assess the situation by taking into consideration the brevity of the case before jumping to conclusions. Sometimes we act in so much haste that we take wrong steps only to regret later. I feel, developing the habit of acting with maturity and in good faith and approaching problems with all seriousness can be helpful in the face of taking critical decisions.  

In this regard, the three day leadership training held in due course of our ATI training programme was an eye opener for me in many ways. I wish to thank Pastor Mongzeung Mpom and his team from Jalukie Baptist Church, for the support. The lectures delivered and the practical games played and their implications learned, especially on the final day were enormous. The essence of each activity we performed was that, at the end, we needed to realise the moral behind them through careful thinking. The more activities we performed, the more I realised the importance of thoughtfulness. We need to be thoughtful to prompt correct decisions in life.  

There was this game of Tree. Our friends were divided into three groups. Now, a tree has three parts, namely, the leaves, the stem and the roots. Each group was asked to secretly choose a part and draw on a chart paper. The pictures were then to be brought forward and compared on the board. Impulsively, our group chose the roots. The second group chose the leaves while the third group went for the stem. I then went forward on behalf of our group.  

Suddenly, we were asked to explain the reason behind choosing the part, and which among them you think, is the most important. I was lost for words. But, immediately I realised the main idea behind the game. I gave an honest answer and said, we chose the roots, just impulsively. But I added, all the different parts of the plant are equally important. Each part plays an equally vital role in the development and the well being of the plant. In the absence of any one, the plant will become handicapped and perish. Everyone agreed. I feel this lesson is very applicable in real life too. Our world is full of heterogeneity and diversity. We have different people with different personalities and characters. We have good as well as evil around us. However, there is no way we can run away from them. We therefore, always need to have room for adjustments and concessions. Everyone, irrespective of the poor or the rich, big or small, the weak or the powerful, is equally important. Life is like a jig-saw puzzle. We cannot afford to leave out some pieces, or choose some over the others. We need every piece to produce the perfect fit. And this is what the beauty of life is. Our human systems require constant co-ordination and co-operation in all spheres of life to function properly.  It is about adjustments and building relationships. Each and every individual has a role to play. It is about us fitting into the system instead of trying to alter the system to our advantage to fit us in.  

I also learned, selfishness is another root of all evils. So carried away by our wants are we that, we overlook the ideals necessary for a quality happy life and make things complicated for ourselves. We devise ways and means to meet our own ends, many a times, at the expense of others. We fail to realise the substance in life and are blindly guided by peer pressure instincts. The most basic principle in life is to have happiness. I feel we don’t need so many things to be happy in life. If we are contented with the meagre that we have and be satisfied with them, only then can life become perfect for us.  

So, now that the four months course at the ATI has come to a close, we gear ourselves up for the next four month District Attachment fixture. Everyone is ready, enthusiastic and eager to move out and learn more. However, I know those beautiful memories created in due course of the hostel stay will always be fondly treasured.  We were 23 of us, 20 NCS and 3 NPS friends. The usual official routines were fine. But, the sub-normal activities were even more memorable and fun: those long evening walks after dinner, the devastating pranks, late night debates (sometimes heated), teasing, the experience of running the kitchen mess, gardening, decent partying, a game or two of cards, badminton and carom, table tennis, the fellowship, Krav Maga, wi-fi-ing...., all will be sorely missed, at least for now. Meet you all again, my friends, in four months time.  

Nuhuta Tunyi, NCS. EAC (P), 2014 Batch, ATI.