More often than not, I put myself in other people's shoes. This happens naturally to me, although I have of late started realising that it is a bit disrespectful to assume a position in which I start speaking about others without knowing exactly what it means to be in their shoes. This realisation did not come at no cost. I had to hear firsthand from some 'Ignoramus' talking about the 1994 Rwanda genocide! This ignoramus' confidence in saying that the French did not know that their Operation Turquoise helped the genocidaires to continue with their evil plan just showed me how 'stupid' one looks when attempting to fit in other people's shoes, without the right information! I am not going to rumble on and on about France, Rwanda, genocide and related things, except that this has taught me to always tread carefully when speaking about things we have little knowledge and experience about.
I got the lesson after I had penned the narrative, "If I were a Professor' and sent it to the CEU Weekly for publication. So, I could not undo the 'stupidity' that may appear from a student's perspective of what a professor should do and not do. One of my favorite professors however after reading the piece thought it was a good read. How about that for an incentive for you to check it out here?
It is too early to reach conclusions like I got this grade in course this because the professor might have read the piece before grading and other similar conclusions. But I must note that I slightly pinched myself today in class when the professor elaborated on what his personal view is and added that we are free to disagree. He also gave the personal reason for choosing a particular reading for the class. Good stuff, atleast, no 'claims' of this is the final truth, it has been proved to work and no other better thought exists! I was however disappointed when a fellow student asked him a personal question, in a way 'interrogating' the professor about the personal view! I felt like screaming at the student, to have his own view than tag onto the professor's, but! I think I complain alot! Too much noise on my part, I thus think keeping silent is better, atleast not to ask personal questions, like 'How do you feel?' to the professor!!!!
In other news, I think the word 'Ignoramus' is the foremost interesting thing I picked from Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun novel! Now, everyone I do not agree with is an Ignoramus! I may soon call myself an Ignoramus! Too much obsession! Meanwhile, the CEU Weekly is an independent publication by Central European University students and alumni! I hope you will check out "If I were a professor". That is the point of this post, if you are wondering!
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