By Rajesh Singh Sandhu | Singapore |
I wasn’t the best student. While books gathered dust on my shelves, I spent my days chasing soccer balls and laughter with friends. Learning felt dull, something for others but not me.
That changed when I met a teacher at 15.
He wasn’t a celebrity or a genius, just an unassuming math tutor. But to me, he was Extraordinary. He didn’t just teach, he awakened something in me, a curiosity I didn’t know I had.
His home was a universe of books. Shelves bowed under their weight, tables disappeared under towering stacks.
Math, economics, IT systems, history, literature…he read it all.
He didn’t just consume knowledge, he lived it, taught it, and even wrote it. In his home, I discovered that books weren’t just pages filled with ink. They were treasure chests of human experience. They held dreams, wisdom, and even the mistakes of those who came before us.
He taught me the power of words. Words that shape ideas. Words that preserve memories. Words that inspire action.
Because of him, I didn’t just learn to read, I learned to love it. And later, I learned to write.
Now, 25 years later, I’ve unconsciously contributed to five books. The latest is this Anti-Scam Handbook by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a guide to combating one of today’s most pressing challenges.
While this milestone is one I’m proud of, I can’t help but reflect on where it all began. In the quiet home of an unassuming math teacher, who saw potential where I saw none.
Thank you dear teacher, for showing me the magic of words. This one’s for you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rajesh Sandhu, a former Singapore government officer, who now helps governments across the Asia-Pacific region with Mastercard. He has also volunteered at a number of Singapore-based Sikh organisation. This article first appeared at his LinkedIn.
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(Asia Samachar, 2024)
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