Focus!

(A micro-fiction story)

Once, a teacher was teaching in her class. While explaining, she told her children to keep their focus on what she was saying.

A child stood up and asked, ‘Miss, what is focus?’

The teacher smiled and said she would explain it next day as the bell rang and her period was over. 

The next day, during her period, the children were eagerly waiting to see how she would explain the word ‘Focus’!

Confidently, she asked that same child to insert a thread into the needle head of a needle while counting all the odd or even numbers quickly from 1 to 100 , without any break. She also reminded him that not a single odd or even numbers should be skipped. She handed over the needle and thread to the child. The rest of the children were excited and watched enthusiastically tto see how hey began quickly he could do it!

‘Wow! Such a simple work!’ The children buzzed at a time. They never imagined that such a simple work also needs some concentration of mind! 

The child began counting and at the same time tried to insert the thread into the needle. He tried his level best but could not do it while counting continuously. At one point, his counting slowed down, and he inserted the thread into the needle. He shouted, ‘Miss, I have done it!’ 

Now, the teacher smiled again and said, ‘Well done! Tell me, did you count at a stretch while inserting the thread or you slowed down?’

The boy stammered a little then said, ‘Miss, exactly when I inserted the thread, I paused for a few seconds and then continued.’

The teacher asked, ‘Why? Why did you stop then? Did you forget any number?’

The child said, ‘No ,ma’am! The moment I fixed my mind on inserting the thread on the needle, my speech automatically paused. I had to focus my mind on the hole. I couldn't do both the work at the same time.’

Then the teacher looked at the class and said very sweetly, ‘That is called Focus!' When you are doing some work, your brain is perfectly engaged that particular work. Inserting thread into needle is one work, and counting is another task! It also requires attention to recall consecutive odd or even numbers! Thus, the brain cannot function perfectly to do both works at the same time! That's why you should focus your mind on one work till to the end, so that it becomes easier!’

‘Am I clear?’ 

‘Yes, Miss’, a chorus answer echoed in the classroom!