My Father, My Best Teacher

At every point of my life, I have two types of education. Schools offer me the basic knowledge of how to make a living, and the other is my father who teaches me how to live. I once questioned myself about the importance of education in school, five minutes later there were a list of things on my mind…..having new friends, learn how to do the Maths, learn Thai history, learn English and…….well, learn how to sing national anthem correctly. I totally agree that those things as mentioned are important factors in people's lives. Graduating high school is a pathway to the higher education. But when it comes to the opposite way, how many people apply what they have learned in school into daily lives properly? When I was in high school, sometimes I thought that school teaches me what to think instead of how to think.
The teachers always came up with the rules, what you can do and what you can't do at school. Somehow I had many fabulous teachers that helped opening my mind to the outside world. But the person whom I listen and look up to has always been my father as the best teacher for all my life. As my role model, my father is a man of few words who spends his most of the time with nature and doing sport activities. When he has free time, he usually comes out of the house, grab the white hammock, ties to the mango trees near the yard, lie himself while spending the rest listening sound of the nature. One of his favorite sports is Tennis. He goes to the sport club nearby to play Tennis every evening, meeting new faces each week. "Being healthy is the most important in people's lives' is his motto. What I didn't realize before is sports also help people in making decisions and be more confident. ‘Never love something that cannot love you back' is what my father used to say. He teaches me not to worship material possessions. Nevertheless, he spends his money on the equipment for his mountain bikes. Only one thing that makes him spends his money. Cycling is also his favorite sport. Each of his trips includes a bicycle, a helmet, a backpack, and a camera. One of his selected destinations is Chiang-Mai because he thinks it is challenging to find new routes for his every single trip to get there. Every time he tells me that he will be gone for a few weeks, a small part of me is worried about his trip and a bigger part is being so proud of him. When he is on a trip, he often sounds exhausted over the phone but he wouldn't let his weakness came over him before he reaches the destination. Even though we live apart, I reside in Bangkok with my mother while he has spent the past seven years alone in Nakornpathom. He teaches me loads of valuable things that even my mother cannot. Every words coming out of his mouth are such convincing, energetic and powerful. I automatically absorb his conceptions. When I was about to take national entrance exam, he said "Give your best shot, so you won't regret whether you succeed or not', while my high school expected many students to get into those famous universities in order to gain reputation for the school. I didn't get in and I never regret it at all because of my father's words, entrance examination wasn't everything for me. They just cannot measure one's potential by exam score. While I am being profoundly taught and shaped by the society, a circle of friends, the culture, or even my family, I have experienced and learnt both happiness and sadness. But one teacher who shows me to see through these certain things has always been the one I call ‘Father'