Okwenziwa Abantu Abadala
UMDLALI wagqolozela umgomo wakhe futhi waqala ukugijima. Wagijima amamitha ayi-17 wayesegxumeka induku emhlabathini futhi wantweza kamnandi phezu kwepali, eliphakeme ngamamitha ayi-9,4. Umqhudelwano? Umncintiswano wezikole ezincane? Cha. Umdlali wayeneminyaka engama-70 ubudala, futhi lona kwakuwumncintiswano, owabikwa kuThe Wall Street Journal, wabadlali abangama-600 bobudala obufanayo. Emqhudelwaneni ofanayo, oneminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa nesikhombisa wagijima amamitha ayi-100 ngemizuzwana engama-15,7, futhi oneminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa waphonsa i“discus” ekhethekile indawo engamamitha angamashumi amabili nesikhombisa.
Ingabe kuyakumangalisa ukuzwa ngabeminyaka yamashumi ayisikhombisa abasaqhudelana emidlalweni? Kuyiqiniso, ngeke bafinyelele lokho ababejwayele ukukwenza lapho beseseminyakeni yamashumi amabili. Kodwa iqiniso lokuthi abanye basengayijikijela i“discus,” bagijime amamitha ayi-100 futhi beqe ipali ngokuphumelelayo libonisa okuthile okubalulekile. Kubonisa ukuthi abantu abadala akumelwe “balulazwe” njengabangelutho ngoba nje sebeye baphila iminyaka ethile. Ngaphandle kokuba kungenele izifo ezithile, abantu abadala banamandla amaningi kunalokho abacatshangelwa khona ngokuvamile.
Ingabe kungokufanayo ngokuqondene nengqondo yabo nolwazi? Okungukuthi, ingabe abantu abadala bangazifunda izinto ezintsha futhi bamukele izindlela ezintsha zokuphila? Ngezinye izikhathi abadala ngokwabo bayawadebesela amandla abo kulezizinto. Bangase bahlehlele emuva ezinseleleni zezinto ezintsha futhi bathi, ‘Sengimdala kakhulu ukuba ngifunde,’ noma ‘Ngeke uyifundise inja endala imigilingwane emisha.’ Kodwa ingabe lokhu kunjalo ngempela? Ikhono lokufunda liphupha kumiphi iminyaka?
Ukukhula Nokufunda
Kuyathakazelisa ukucabanga ukuthi umuntu ozihlangula ngokuthi, ‘Sengimdala ukuba ngifunde,’ wake waba umntwana omncane, oneso elikhazimulayo egcwele ukulangazelela lokho kwazi. Emagameni aziwa yiningi labafana abancane namantombazane, amazwi asetshenziswa kakhulu ngathi ‘Kungani?’ ‘Kuphi?’ ‘Nini?’ ‘Kanjani?’ ‘Ubani?’ Asingabazeki isifiso sabo sokufunda.
Ngesinye isikhathi abazali bafisa sengathi lesifiso sasingaba sincane nokuba abantwana babo bayeke ukubuza imibuzo okwesikhashana. Kodwa iBhayibheli liyakuqaphela ukubaluleka kwalokho okufundwa umntwana kulelibanga uma lithi: “Khulisa umntwana ngendlela eyakuba-ngeyakhe; kuyakuthi lapho esekhulile, angasuki kuyo.”—IzAga 22:6.
Ngokushesha umntwana uya esikoleni, futhi eminyakeni ethile umsebenzi wakhe oyinhloko usuku ngalunye uwukungenisa ulwazi olusha ngezifundo ezihlukene. Isifiso sakhe semvelo sokufunda sisingathwa ngezinga elithile othisha bakhe. Ufunda imiqondo emisha, amakhono amasha, futhi izwe liya livuleka kuye.
Ngokushesha iminyaka yasesikoleni iyaphela, futhi insizwa iyavela ezweni. Manje kumelwe ifunde ukusebenzelana nabantu asebekhulile futhi ithole amakhono okuziphilisa. Ezimweni eziningi iphelela emsebenzini ovamile, futhi lapha inqubo yokufunda iyaqala ukwehla. Izinsizwa eziningi nezintombi ziyashada, zibe nabantwana, bathwala ubunzima nemithwalo yemfanelo, futhi kancane kancane bayayeka ukucebisa ukuphila kwabo ngokufunda okusha.
Uma umkhaya ukhula, abazali bathola ukuthi manje banesikhathi sabo futhi. Kodwa, ezimweni eziningi, kuye kwama indlela yokungafundi. Abasakuthandi njengoba babenjalo besebencane beqala ukuhlola izinto ezintsha, noma ukubuza imibuzo. EJaphani abanye bakhuluma njengabazalwa kwesinye isikhathi. Indoda ingathi, ‘Ngazalwa ngesikhathi sikaMeiji.’ Leso kwakuyisikhathi sezombangazwe esaphela ngo-1912. Ngakho-ke, esefinyelele cishe iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa unomuzwa wokuthi izinsuku zakhe zokufunda sezidlulile futhi ngeke esakwazi ukucosha imiqondo emisha kulesisikhathi sesimanje, isikhathi esingaqondakali.
Kodwa ingabe kufanele kube njalo? Kuyiqiniso, njengoba umuntu eguga, umzimba wakhe wemvelo uyashintsha. Amalungu akhe angase aqine, izicubu zakhe zibe ntekenteke kancane, ukubona kwakhe kube buthakathaka kancane futhi angabe esezwa kahle. Kodwa ngaphandle kokuba agule, lokho kubangela ukwehla nje kuphela, hhayi ukuma kwayo yonke imisebenzi. Iqiniso lokuthi iqembu elase leqe emashumini ayisikhombisa eminyaka lingaba nomncintiswano wezemidlalo liyakufakazela lokhu. Ingabe kuyinto efanayo ngengqondo? Noma kuyiqiniso ukuthi umuntu angase abe mdala kakhulu ukuba afunde?