Happy Teacher’s Day!
Happy Teachers’ Day to Neil Miller :) I have a lot of things to thank him for, this status won’t probably fit it all, but I’ll try to squeeze in as many as I can :D (I promise not to make it too long)
Initially, in the interview phase, his precise comments made me feel that I’d be dealing with a McGonagall*, a no-nonsense boss who you don’t mess with. But, once I got to know him a bit better, I realized how Dumbledore** like he is.
He knows everything an immature writer goes through, so I don’t have to explain every roadblock I face. Since he’s been through it all, he has a perfect solution for every problem. Even when he doesn’t have an answer right away, he does everything to find out the right answer.
And, I can’t slip anything past him easily. (Trust me I tried!) Even when he’s just chatting with you in messenger, it just takes him mere seconds to figure out whether you picked your target audience before or after writing an article.
Whenever I feel so lost and get all tangled upin a plot, he knows exactly what to say to motivate me and get me back on track. I’ll never know how he does that. Even when he disapproves or expresses his disappointment about something I did, he is straightforward but not harsh.
Most important aspect is that he gives me all the freedom I need to experiment. And, when I fail, he’s always there to help me get out of the mess. I can go on and on about every little thing he does as my mentor. But I did promise to keep it short so I’ll save the rest for another blog post or two.
People can claim that he was just doing what he’s supposed to do. But it’s much more than that. Not everyone would be willing to go that extra mile just to help his/her juniors learn and grow. I’m so blessed and proud to have him as my mentor. Someday, I hope I’ll make him feel proud to have me as a student!
McGonagall* — Known as the steely head of Gryffindor house she is a winning combination of no-nonsense and compassion. She might come across as a stern teacher but she hides a warm personality and fierce protectiveness deep within her.
Dumbledore**- The grandfatherly headmaster who is hailed by the wizarding world as one of the most powerful wizards. A warm grandfatherly figure (No, I’m not taking a dig at Neil’s age!) who is respected for his intelligence, experience, and knowledge. He’s the kind of mentor everyone wants. Just his constant encouragement and supervision will make his trainees succeed.