Once at my school it was announced that there would be an Activity Day for all students. They each need to help their classmates to learn a new thing. So all students were excited to show a part of their talent and in a way that other students also learn from them.”Teacher, Can I show them how to play guitar?”, ” Teacher, can I show to make a paper boat?”, were a few of the queries the 5th grader asked me.
I was thrilled to see their excitement. The day came when all the students had come prepared with a piece of their knowledge and their skills. Each one came ahead, towards my table and performed. It started with Monie showing to draw a perfect line, without a ruler, and Rin showing her trick to wear a neck-tie.Minnie showing to cook a snack with no fuel. Even I got to learn many skills at this event and all students were excitedly clapping on getting to know newer skills. Then came the turn of Joon.
He had 3 boxes with him which seemed a bit heavy to carry to my table.” Mina, please help Joon”, I requested the girl sitting next to Joon. “Thank you, Mina”, Joon thanked Mina as they placed 3 boxes which seemed heavy and another empty open transparent box.”Hello friends”, Joon started with an introduction on his activity, “I have this empty box here. I will fill this box now..”, he paused as he carefully placed a large stone from the first heavy box into it. The stone was almost the size of a transparent box. “So tell me”, Joon asked his classmates,”Is the box full?”. To this, all students replied “Yes!”.
Joon then put his hand in the second heavy box and added small pebbles to the transparent box, giving it a shake so the pebbles could disperse amongst the space inside the box. Then he asked again, “Is the box full now?”. The students agreed that the box is still full. Joon then took out a fist full of sand from the third heavy box and poured it into the transparent box to fill up all the remaining empty space.
” Is the box full now?”, asked Joon. The students again in unison replied “Yes”, with an expression on what he is trying to show them all. Joon turned to me and I nodded to him to continue explaining the outcome of this activity to his classmates. Turning towards his classmates, Joon said “The transparent box represents our life.
The rock, the pebbles, and sand are the things that fill up our lives”. Pointing to the rock he continued “the rock represents our most important responsibility in life that includes responsibility towards our duty, our family, friends, and society. If the pebbles and sand were not in the box, the box is still full..our life still has meaning.” Seeing the confused face of his classmates Joon continued “The pebbles represent the things that matter in our personal life such as a job, a house, a hobby, without which we could still live. These things occupy a space where convenient.
The sand represents the remaining smaller things that change according to our convenience like watching a movie, hanging out with our friends, or just strolling through a park. These things don’t mean much to our life as a whole but can still fill in to give a meaning to our life which then can completely be eradicated from our life. Our life does not depend on these”.