Part 3 – Happy Teachers Day – 5 September 2014 (Friday)

If you are a school librarian and you are passionate about reading, the sweetest words from your students are probably, “Teacher, can I have the key to the library?

“We are having a lesson break and we like to spend our time in it?”

In 1972, as a student of Anderson Secondary School, I frequently asked Mrs Lim, our school librarian that  question. I could still visualise her response, including the big smile on her face as she handed the key over to me.

It was a special request because we could have used the free periods to do whatever we wanted but we chose to be close to hundreds and hundreds of books. There were hardly any students who were more enthusiastic about going to the library than us.

Why were we so passionate about going to the library?

After more than 40 years, I have finally decided to reveal the secret to you. A secret that my fellow classmates and I had to almost swear we would take it to our graves.

Let me share this story from almost the beginning.

I was appointed as a class librarian from the first week till my very last day in school. What I thought was a simple assignment at that point turned out to be a divine appointment.

Being a librarian helped to deepen my love for books. Reading became a lifelong friend and a vital and integral part of my life.

What oxygen was to my life, words of wisdom were to my soul. They were like stars that navigated my life.

Books were basic building blocks to achieving success and living a meaningful life.

Back in 1972, there was more to a library – at least to some of us – than just about reading books.

The truth that I am about to share with you may shake you up or shock you. Whatever the case may be, I will come clean with you so that it will set me totally free.

When my friends and I went to the library, all of us would look sober and move quietly as we should in a library.

We would make sure the doors were securely locked. The windows – tightly shut.

Nobody could take even a slightest peep into the sacred space of the library.

We could not afford to have a single hunch from anybody that ‘dark forces’ lurked behind the hallowed walls.

Once we were ready, we would take action.

We would take turns to hop on to the one and only trolley in the library.

The race would begin.

We would push each other around the library, swerving between and around bookshelves.

As we sped along the ‘race track’, we had to avoid hitting any bookshelf and prevent books from tumbling down. Obviously, this was not always possible.

We would time ourselves to determine the best racers. A record of the top winners was studiously kept for every race and their timings were registered with great discipline.

Hence, I could always tell my parents with a straight face that I have been studious in school. I have been disciplined in completing many ‘assignments.’

I believe the standing record is still held by SK, my good buddy and an honoured member of my YAFI (pronounced as Ya-Fai) gang in school.

In case you need to know, YAFI stands for You Ask For It. You wouldn’t want to mess around with my gang. Lol!

(SK – you know who you are – we need to race one more time. I have been licking my wounds over the loss for more than four decades now).

One not-so-fateful day, we were as usual conducting our ‘Library F1 Race.’

The worst possible thing happened.

One of the four trolley wheels came off.

We tried to fix it – but it was beyond repair.

We could still push it around. However, it would wobble on an uneven keel – never ever going straight after the fatal accident.

Till my last day as a student, it was unfortunate that the school had to continue to use the same trolley. We were too poor to pay somebody to repair the trolley or to replace it.

We could not race again. We had to use the library for its rightful purpose – reading good books.

That was when I fell truly in love with the magic and wonder of good books. The love story continues until today and I’m better for it.

Every now and then, Mrs. Lim, the school librarian would ask me, “What happened to the trolley?”

Whenever we met in the first year after my graduation, she would sometimes ask me, “Do you know what happened to the trolley?”

I always felt she had a twinkle in her eyes when she asked the question – but I could never ascertain the truth behind the smile. I subsequently realised the truth and will share it with you in this Love Note.

At one point in my life, I decided to close all the outstanding files in my life. I wanted to clear my obligation and debt, and to pay restitution for the wrongdoing in my life.

Closing the files became one of the best things that I did in my life. This Note is about one of such experiences.

As you read to the end, you will be amazed at the fairy tale ending. You will be inspired to close the files in your life and take it to a higher level.

Think about it.

One great way to be at peace with the past is to capitalize on it for the best future.

One great way to remove past guilt is to put to right the wrongs that have been done.

One great way to remove the resentment against your offenders is to continue to forgive them.

Pray for them, wish them well and if need be, do the right things to them and you will soon remove the poison of un-forgiveness.

One great way to clear negative emotions is to learn how to cope with them and replace them with positive emotions.

One great way to remove hatred is to replace them with love, compassion and kindness.

One great way to start life anew is to clear your debts and obligations.

One great way to transform your life is to remove the blockages that are holding you back.

One great way to be connected to the people that are important in your life is to be humble, build bridges, and learn to bond with them.

One great way to stop carrying unfinished business is to complete it and leverage on it for more achievements.

One great way to brighten up your past is to contribute positively to others and the environment.

One of the best ways to honour your teachers is to say thank you to them – before it is too late to do it.

As I continue to close the files in my life, I have to admit that it did not get any easier. Oftentimes, I have to do it with a lot of reluctance and difficulties.

Over time, I have learned to develop a more resilient spirit and to become more persistent in resolving issues in my life.

After closing each file, I found that I can better focus on fulfilling my calling. I can have more fun and laugh more heartily.

I can harness more energy to achieve better results and have a higher quality of life.

The case of the broken trolley was one of the experiences that taught me the virtues of closing the files in my life.

In 2011, I made a decision to do what I should have done a long time ago – to put the case to rest, at least in my mind.

I contacted the Principal of Anderson Secondary School and offered to do something for the library.

I did not go into great details about the reason for my gift as I felt it served no purpose to share with him.

Interestingly, my purpose for closing this particular file turned out to be for a far higher calling from our Creator.

The Principal and I discussed about it for a period of time. Finally, it was decided that I should sponsor the upgrading of the teaching and learning facility in the library.

According to the Principal, “It would go a long way in making the room more conducive for collaborative work and learning amongst our students.” The upgrading project would benefit both teachers and students.

I made the donation as a way of paying restitution for the damage that I have caused to the library. I did not expect anything in return – but it did not turn out to be that way.

The file was still not ready to be closed. There was another outstanding issue.

I wanted to contact Mrs Lim who must be quite elderly by then. I needed to apologise to her and asked for her forgiveness.

The challenge was how to contact someone who has never been closed to you. A person I had felt embarrassed to meet and whom I had been out of contact with for more than four decades.

You could imagine the detective work I had to put in to find Mrs Lim. After checking through the Net, going through many records, and making umpteenth enquiries, I finally managed to track her down.

On September 20, 2011, I called Mrs Lim to thank her for appointing me as a librarian and helping me to cultivate a lifelong love for reading.

After breaking the ice and becoming more relax, I muster the courage to confess the key reason behind my call.

With a sense of remorse, I asked her, “Will you forgive me?”

Immediately after that, there was a pregnant silence.

The parties on both ends of the phone were mentally crafting words to break the silence. Little did we know our messages were very completely different.

Subsequently, I discovered she could not remember the incident and it was not even a major problem to her.

She forgave me in any case and when we ended the conversation, we were both in high spirit.

The file was closed. My heart was at peace.

There was nothing I could ever do to fully repay the school for all the wrongs that I did and all the good it had done in my life.

Through serving in the library and discovering the joy of reading, my  life had been immeasurably changed for the better.

I would always have a library of books around me, and the school library would always be in my heart.

This story about closing the files in my life has not ended. It has another beautiful experience which will continue throughout my life.

Please read about it on ‘Happy Teachers Day – Part 6.’

Teachers hold one of the most important keys to our future. Without them, the world will be a dimmer place.

Thank you teachers.

Go4It!

Visit my Inspiration blog at http://liewinspiration.wordpress.com/

For my opinions on social affairs, please visit my Transformation blog at http://hsrpatrickliew.wordpress.com/

Please read my reflections and continue to teach me.

Life is FUNtastic!