A Sheep Painted Black

Star Q

i.  Majlis Iftaar dan Tarawih

ii.  Past Imperfect

iii.  Pumpkin Cheese Muffins

A person is called a black sheep when he or she does not conform to the norms that others dictate.  A person unlike a real sheep, is not black, but in fact is often painted black by the people around him. And whether the individual likes it or not, the black sheep label will more often than not warrant the individual to be seen as an outcast.

The article 'Do Away with Black Sheep' (Sunday Star, 30/6/13) seems to make a liberal albeit judgemental, that black sheep should indeed be discarded whatever the cost.  The article mentioned that the person who was once a hardworking teacher turned into a lazy and irresponsible person after he was passed over for promotion.

Not every one responds well to such a situation especially when the person knows that he has done his utmost best to be a better person.  He may have not got the promotion he felt he deserved,  but in leaving him on the sideline, the person responsible for awarding (or putting forward the suggestion for promotion) could have at least praised him for all his efforts and that his turn for a promotion may come sooner than he expected; and that it could come in many forms.

A case in point is a friend of mine who happens to be a teacher.  He started doing small projects for the school without expecting anything in return.  He would come back to school in the afternoons and during school holidays, to clean up a whole teachers' room (which is actually another separate room since the number of teachers in the school had been growing)  He would bring potted plants which he bought with his money, to this room.  He would draw murals using paints bought from his own pocket.  He would move huge furniture from the store room to the teachers' room; all this to make the room more hospitable for his fellow colleagues.

But, finally, when it came the time when names were listed for awards for excellence, this teacher's name was left out.  He consoled himself and thought to himself that it was not yet his turn.

The following year the teacher's name was again not included among the list of recipients.  He began to question all the hard work he had done.  He knew he had to persist for his students, but his heart was elsewhere.  Every thing seemed bleak and black.

And you wonder why he feels like the black sheep.