Lessons in Kindergarten

I did not realize how crucial kindergarten is. I thought it was just the educators way of warming up children to be ready when real school begins. All the while, I thought it was just about playing and at the same time, learning. What I did not know, is that, kindergarten is the very foundation of every human being. This is where everything started. It prepared me into a lot of situations that I have dealt with in my entire existence.

The Lessons:

The Early Morning Rise:
The 6:00am-alarm would normally indicate that my day is about to start. Even when I was little, I was never a morning person, so I would reluctantly rise from bed every morning. Until I got used to waking up early and for the entire 16 years of being in school, and 5 years being on the job, waking up early was not that difficult to do anymore.

The Greetings:
Hello, Hi, Good morning, Good afternoon, Good evening!--these are just the few phrases we say to everyone we meet in kindergarten. Who would have thought that these statements will reveal the kind of persons we are? If you got used to saying these, people will see you as a polite and respectful person. Giving them an optimistic view about you. Manners, they say.

The Interactions:
Part of our school activity is to talk to your classmates about anything and everything under the sun. It's one way to promote friendship and communication. As we grow up, interaction with people makes us heard and felt. We recite in class to speak our minds, to voice out our emotions. If we were never taught to interact with someone, how are we going to survive for a day?

The Long Lines:
The long lines taught me patience. In order to get something that you want, you have to wait for it and work hard for in. Just like in kindergarten, if you need to buy food, or get your report cards, you have to fall in line. Maybe it's one of the few things that made me being still graceful during PRC processing, paying bills, watching a concert, and getting my salary...I got used to being in the long lines.

The Goodbyes:
This is my favorite lesson, the goodbyes. Before the day ends, our teacher would ask us to say goodbye to our classmates and to the teachers. It was part of our daily routine. When I got older, I am not surprised to farewells. I was taught when I was in kindergarten! For every Hi's and Hellos, Goodbyes will always come in the process. You say Hi, knowing that you will say goodbye soon. This is why I don't dwell too much on the pains of goodbyes, because even in kindergarten, it was en-rooted in me.

I could just be grateful for kindergarten. It was the commencement of preparation toward real-life situations and the very blueprint of every person whose aim in life is to survive.


Disclaimer: I do not own the photo. Credits to the owner.