Fate

As I reach this age its often that I look back on what was and what could be.Suddenly it struck me that my ending up as a teacher was perhaps destined.I was born on May 15 which happened to be Founder's Day for the Christian Missionary Schools in honor of St. John Baptist De Lasalle . He was the son of a rich man with fame and fortune at his disposal .Yet he gave all this away and chose a life of frugality with focus on educating the homeless young people. I have always admired him since in school as the Brothers who taught us told us his story over and over again.In school I was inspired by what St. John did especially how he founded the Lasalle Brothers who became teachers all over the world. They worked for nothing more than the education of the young and their sphere of influence spread all over the world. As fate would have it . after I finished my Higher School exam In December I had nothing to do and of course mum said I should not waste time and should find a job so I could give her some pocket money.As fate would have it Khoo Kay Kim whose brother was my classmate and who was teaching History in St. Anthony's Teluk Intan left his post to move on. He felt bad having to leave the school and asked me if I was interested and since I had no means of going to the University at that time . I thought " why not " as I could earn some money and save for my university education which I wanted badly as I believed only through it could I break away from the socio- economic cycle which the toh family was caught in. Come January , at the tender age of 19 off I went to Teluk Intan and thus began my career as a teacher.It was fated that I taught in a Mission School and it was also fated that I ended up as the first non mission headmaster of a Mission School. I have never regretted being a teacher as it gave me the opportunity to be in touch with thousands of students who some of them to this day still remember me and always tell me " Sir, I would not be what I am today if not for you ".These words are the best testimonials any teacher can ask for and somehow makes everything worthwhile.Teachers are not rich. We were not paid huge salaries but yet I would consider myself very rich as I had the opportunity to reach out and touch the lives of so many young people.This is wealth which is so much more valuable than money.There is no point in having so much money when you do not know what to do with it.I have come across filthy rich people who are so stingy that they deprive themselves of the good things in life.To them I always say " Money is just paper and you cant take it with you when you go ". Today after more than 50 years in education I still feel there is no regret having chosen teaching as a profession >Not rich in money , but rich in the many students whom we have sent out into the world as fine upright people.All the money in the world can buy this and not many people in the world can have this privilege !