Written by Prerana
It’s been one month since I’ve been a part of Bookworm, and honestly it’s one of the most remarkable experiences I’ve had so far. I remember the afternoons I used to spend procrastinating and lazing around, whiling away my time like the lazy log I sometimes am, but Bookworm changed all of that. I remember my first MOP session when I was just the ‘observer’. I was apprehensive and excited all at once. I did experience an irrational, short burst of anxiety. What if the kids didn’t like me? However the moment I reached St. Inez, all me fears allayed almost immediately. The children made a bee-line towards me, much as one might gravitate towards chocolate. After all I was the “new teacher”. The afternoon passed like a whirlwind and ended almost too soon. I found myself looking forward to the MOP sessions with a rush of excitement.
I think would state Chimbel be my favourite MOP site. The positive energy there is electric and just infuses you with this energy, so you’re all zapped up no matter how tired you actually are. Chimbel calls upon your innermost reserves of energy to rise up to the occasion. The children are always happy, bubbly with smiles stretching across their faces and an eager enthusiasm to absorb whatever knowledge they can from you.
At one such session, the children presented skits, enacting a storybook they read through actions, songs, drama and whatever else they could come up with. It was an absolute delight to watch, and I caught glimpses of the astonishing creativity hidden within them, just waiting to flourish. Their faces beamed every time I applauded them and it somehow warmed me up every time they smiled. Another memory I’ll treasure is my first session where I explained a story to a bunch of juniors at St. Inez. It filled me with this inexplicable happiness to read to these children and reach out to them, and I felt that feeling slowly melt all over me. The sort of feeling that fills the void on a quiet day, and in those moments I was well and truly content – without a single demand from the universe. The positivity permeated through my skin and I left the MOP sight with a grin that made my face hurt, and my eyes crinkled so much I couldn’t see straight.
That’s what I love about Bookworm, really. I think it’s what I would call a ‘happy place’. Somehow I find the joy constantly radiating from its walls. Of course, MOP meetings are an absolute delight, and sometimes my favourite part of the whole week!
Maybe not tomorrow, but I feel it in me, as surely as I know that the sun will rise, and that the Earth will turn, Bookworm will one day achieve its goal of WORLD DOMINATION. And I’m so, so glad that I’m a part of it.