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When I was a mechanic apprentice

When I was 13-15 years old in the 1970s, I worked as an apprentice of a radio repairman during the summer holidays. I gained a lot there at a young age in understanding life and people. The experiences I have gained, on the one hand, protected me from the worst of life; on the other hand, it led to my personal development.

When the customer brought his broken radio for repair, he would assume that he knew the solution as if he had diagnosed the fault. They would say, "It works, but it doesn't make a sound! The wire is broken; there is a soldering job!" When we came across such explanations, we wouldn't have questioned why they hadn't fix it themselves since they knew the fault. If we told them to show us the broken cable, they couldn't show it. 

I was used to these kinds of diagnoses and treatments since I often heard about them. I didn't use to listen to them much. In such cases, taking in my hand the screwdriver, the side cutter, the avometer, the oscilloscope, and the soldering iron, I was trying to find the fault and complete the repair. That would be my job.

More than 40 years have passed. Now I'm looking at people's attitudes toward political affairs. Still, they are no different from the customers who brought their broken radio to repair years ago. Unfortunately, it is! We assume that we can effortlessly diagnose problems without analyzing and investigating in depth. We say the cable is broken and pass. We say it works but doesn't make a sound. We blame other mechanics. Solder the thread, we say it would work.

Nothing can be as simple as listing, counting, asking for repair, blaming others, and making propaganda in this way. What are you doing for a solution, brother?

I have been in education processes throughout my life, including my professional life. I learned that solving the faults in social events is not as easy as it seems. Although the systems are useful, I have adopted that the real responsibility lies with the individuals. I concluded that it is not possible to fix other people's malfunctions. So I am busy repairing myself instead of repairing others, and it will continue. Regardless of the position and title, the solution starts with the individuals, and the responsibility is on everyone. We have nothing to do but repair ourselves. If there are educators who could fix others and succeed, I only respect them. But I also know that a high percentage of the success we attribute to them comes from the students' efforts.

It doesn't mean that I deny the necessity of education and training. Despite guiding people, providing resources and media, Educators cannot transfer knowledge and skill to a person like a syringe. The teacher shows the door; the key to open the door is in everyone's hands and can only be opened by himself. Mevlana once said,

I was smart yesterday; I wanted to change the world. Today I'm wiser; I'm changing myself.
Image uploaded by Justinite to Pixabay

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