成人快手

Comedian & writer Paul Kerensa听

Last week, I visited my old school. Valley End C of E in Surrey. Three decades since I was there last, either it had shrunk or I had grown. The children of course, stay the same age, replenished year on year with eager young learners. So there I was, invited back to teach them about writing, particularly limericks it turned out鈥� Yesterday, they sent me one back:

A comedy writer named Paul听

Revisited Valley End School听

He took the time听To teach us to rhyme听

And write limericks to share with us all

But while teaching, we鈥檙e still pupils ourselves. Seeing a carbon-copy of my old classmates, in my actual old classroom, brought it all back.听

When I started school, I missed the first term, due to a long spell in hospital. I missed the school Nativity 鈥� though they gave me an honorary role as 4th wise man. I missed the class photo 鈥� though they left a gap for me, so my Mum could literally cut out and paste on another picture of me, like an early version of Photoshop.听

As for my classmates, they must have wondered who this invisible child was, as they kept making room for me like I was the school ghost. But still to this day, I have the 20 or so Get Well Soon letters, sent by my classmates to me in hospital.听

Whoever we think Jesus was, most acknowledge he was a teacher, and a great one at that. He said to enter the kingdom of heaven, become like children 鈥� humble ourselves, as if we were young again. He taught his disciples compassion and community, so they could take that message, and perspective on life, and send it viral. The pupils become the teachers. Compassion spreads, so that not just our old schools seem smaller, but the world seems smaller.

I might have missed that first school term, but those lessons in compassion and community were taught to me, in hospital, by the pupils of Valley End 1983, caring for their missing classmate. Yes, they were encouraged to write them 鈥� just as I encouraged them to write limericks last week. But it鈥檚 all equipment for the toolbox of life. Seeing this new generation learning last week, encouraging each other, eager to be creative, encouraged me. Whether pupil or teacher, our toolboxes always have room for a little bit more.