Addiction

Maybe I jinx my student.

He was seen smoking by his father on the same day I went to teach him last week.

Technically, the probability of that happening is only 52/365 because I only teach him once a week.

My jinxifying powers aside, it was quite an upsetting experience. He's already 15 but had to have me, an outsider, witness him being screamed at by his mum. She was just randomly hurling exclamations at him, so I guess she was pretty much at a loss. Her disciplining was not strategic. I knew she was going nowhere.

But she said something that made an impression, "Your father is not even talking to you about it. He has given up!"

After my lesson, his mother told me that his father has nothing to say because he's too disappointed. And also because he wouldn't have been able to bear his son's very possible rebuttal - "YOU ALSO SMOKE WHAT! SO DON'T TRY TO STOP ME."

Very sad to hear. Never be a bad example, if not you risk losing the respect, in this case as a father. To me, it's quite the worst.

My student told me he'll have withdrawal symptoms if he stops. He tried but he didn't like to have a runny nose and blah blah.

I told him it's like falling ill. Will you die when you fall ill?
No. You'll recover. Endure, don't die, and you'll recover in no time.

I asked him why he's breaking the hearts of people who love him for something that only brings him comfort. One person at the expense of so many people.

He kept quiet.

I guess some things really require thinking. If you do, you'd know it's not worth doing.

OK BYE.