Catalysts

At my Telugu class recently, I introduced the kids to one of the popular Vemana poems. It says, if one sings frequently, cacophony can turn into melody, if one eats them often enough, bitter neem leaves can taste sweet, and if relentless with practice, one can basically achieve anything. As a kid, I always had my doubts about this poem. I sing pretty much 24x7- my husband can more than vouch for that now- but the only melody I can boast of creating is my daughter Raaga (meaning melody). I ate bitter gourd enough growing up, never really thought it tasted anything but bitter. I never intended to prove the poem wrong but I always felt that something else, beyond practice, played a role in pursuit of perfection.

Ever since Raaga was born, we have been consciously trying to incorporate Telugu language into her childhood. But however hard we tried to only speak in Telugu at home, Raaga was never really able to pick the language up. During our trips to India so far, Raaga was always very grumpy and generally whiny every time a family member or relative talked to her in Telugu. They would typically say something nice about her in Telugu, pat her cheeks and laugh. Raaga would not understand a word they say, assume that they were making fun of her and would start crying. It was just such a hassle for us to explain to her that nobody was making fun of her. 

Flash forward to the Fall of 2014 and in a short span of 3 months, Raaga is able to write all the Telugu letters, read simple words, recite poems and most importantly understand most of a casual Telugu conversation. She even went on stage and said several sentences in Telugu (Raaga's recital: http://youtu.be/uW6By3je7A0)! This might not mean like much to most but with a visit to India planned for this Spring, this means the world to us. We cannot wait to see how much better Raaga will find the India trips now- and it is all thanks to one person, the driving force of Telugu School, our Murthy uncle. His passion towards Manabadi school helped many children like Raaga connect to their roots. Raaga would not be as comfortable with Telugu as she is today if it were not for the Telugu School.

I really think that every success story involves, beyond hard work and practice, a secret ingredient- a catalyst- in the form of a mentor, a teacher, or a guide that plants a seed and inspires one to do well; one that facilitates a mindset or an environment conducive for success.These catalysts are all around us- parents, teachers, friends, artists, philanthropists or even random strangers on social media. I just feel so thankful to everyone that knowingly or unknowingly inspire others around them, help build that passion in them and pave way for their success.

Thanks to a friend's recommendation, I have been going to formal music classes for the past few months. A week from tomorrow, I even get to sing a small carnatic classical song on the stage for the first time! And I recently attempted my mother-in-law's recipe for bitter gourd fry. No, I do not think that bitter gourd is sweet, but it was ridiculously delicious and is now a family favorite. As for the validity of Vemana sathakam, I am not a kid anymore to second guess that legendary writer- if Vemana said through his works that the moon is made of garlic and butter, I will believe him. I must have missed something in the way I interpreted that poem as a kid. Maybe Vemana meant that practice inherently includes dedication and the drive to succeed. Maybe he found those four lines to be too short to comprehend any other contributors to success beyond practice. Or maybe I just need to read the rest of the 2099 poems he penned, I am sure he must have broached catalysts in there...