The first thing Mr Anzenge, our VP Academics at GCK, used to do on entering his office, every morning, was to set his family picture on his desk, facing him. One day I was lucky to know why. I happened to be in his office one day, when the parent of a certain student he was attending to suddenly started insulting him. Mr Anzenge, who, by the way, had served in the army before becoming a teacher, kept calm and waited for the man to finish. Then he pointed to his family's picture in front of him and told the man, they are the only reason I didn't react to you. They are the only reason I sit here everyday open to such parents like You, who come here and speak whatever nasty words they can to me. If I react to you, I may lose this job. But if I lose this job just because of you, who will help me take care of my family?
At times its good to keep the picture of what is at stake to you always fresh in your mind. It stops you from reacting in a way you end up losing everything you value to people that stand to lose nothing. Remember how Zinedine Zidane ended a sterling football career on a very shameful note to that reaction to the Italian player, Materazzi.
Video replays indicated that Materrazi had deliberately and consistently tried to irritate Zidane. But as much as everyone could understand with Zidane, his reaction spoilt his case completely.
The referee had no option than to send him off. His country France had to play the rest of the world cup finals with one man less and without their best player and captain. Everyone thinks France should have won if Zidane was on the pitch to the end.
Before that nasty incident, Zidane had already bn voted the most valuable player of the world cup. Sadly that had to be changed because of what happened. And what did Materrazi lose or rather was Materrazi worth all Zidabe lost?
There will always be such people like Materrazi around, trying to irritate you. Sometimes you just have to endure, swallow your pride, take everything in and move on. They are not just worth it.
