In The Same Boat
After practice, a student approached me sheepishly in the changing room, "May I ask you a question? When you were a student, did you ever encounter problems and difficulties?" "What are you thinking? Of course, I did!" I could not help bursting out laughing. "A lot. Many times. To the extent that I wondered if I should bother to continue. But, for the love of my teachers and fellow students, I stuck with it. What you are feeling is totally normal. Please do not be discouraged. You are doing great. Just keep at it." The student broke out a smile and said, "Really? It makes me feel so much better. Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one who feels this way . . . " Ahhh. Is this what students think? Their teachers are super humans who are free from struggles? Here I am, so many years later, I am still a student. I still encounter problems and difficulties in my study -- just di...
