 |
| Making a point. |
-Brian Mendonca
This morning as I sat in a session on poll training I was taken aback that the speaker had only his left hand.
The fact that he was so confident, made me want to listen to him more attentively. As he took us effortlessly through the power-point presentation (PPT) on election modalities, I was marvelling at what a seasoned speaker he was.
His dis-ability - if you can call it that - in no way hampered his delivery. In fact, it almost accentuated it. His right hand was gone, but it didn't seem to matter. With his left hand he made several apt gestures to drive home his point.
The talk was delivered in English and Konkani. Konkani helped him connect with his local audience. He was in his element while speaking; cracking jokes, and putting his audience at ease.
He did not, for a moment, digress. He ran a tight ship covering around 100 slides. He was assisted by another officer who changed the slides and used the highlighter effectively. The PPT of about 240 slides could be accessed through a QR code which was displayed in the opening slide.
I was impressed at his dress sense. The light pastel shade of his shirt matched the colour of his trouser. He certainly looked sharp.
He also used the space effectively. He walked back and forth along the length of the central section of the hall, while speaking, referring to his PPT occasionally. As he moved he spoke louder for the people behind to hear him.
He is an inspiration to all who see him in action. I was privileged to see him perform. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, and becoming a non-performing asset (NPA), he became a beacon to others.
After the session he warmly informed us that tea and a snack were waiting for us outside, and that we could leave. There was something paternal about him. The session had lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes.
As I sipped my tea, it was on the tip of my tongue to ask him what happened to his right hand. But as I stepped back into the dimmed hall, I noticed he was busy. The next batch was already waiting. Pleasantries would have to wait. I still don't know his name.
---------------------------
Pic taken by Brian Mendonca on 2 February 2024 in Room No. 232, Mathany Saldanha Administrative Complex, South Goa Collectorate, Margao, Goa.
Comments