Bounce back like a kangaroo

It’s not always easy to get up after a knock-down

It was my first teaching job, in the roughest part of London.

I would travel in from the Sussex countryside, an hour on the commuter train followed by the squashed-like-sardines experience of the standing-room-only underground tube. One time, the only space available for me was directly under a very tall man’s armpit. I have been anal about using deodorant ever since.

The school was populated by 3 types of high school student. The first were children of recent immigrants, who could not yet speak English. The second could use some English words to get around, but their writing ability was very limited.

And the third? Well, let’s just say, they didn’t want to be there, and they made that very clear.

I didn’t want to be there either and after only a few months, I quit.

Welcome to Animal Instincts where I attempt to extract some wisdom from our natural world and see what it might teach us at work and at home.

I live at the end of a cul-de-sac in the north-east edge of Perth in Western Australia.

Kangaroos share the suburb with us, and it is common to see them standing, jumping and lying down on our front lawn and in our street.

Unfortunately, it is also common to see dead ones lying at the side of the road. At least by the main highways where cars hit them at speed.

On the quieter suburban streets, a kangaroo might appear suddenly, and as much as you might try to swerve to avoid it, some are still knocked down.

Amazingly, though, they are often able to get back up. Long elastic tendons in their hind legs, and a tale that acts like a ‘fifth leg’ helps them to absorb the energy of an impact and return to their feet so they can quickly get out of the way.

It isn’t easy though. There might be an injury. Almost certainly, she will be in pain.

Some people seem to have the ability to get back on their feet more than others.

Maybe it depends on how hard the knock down was.

The kangaroo is lucky enough to have a natural ‘springiness’ built in its design, but what about us—not so much with a physical fall, but when discouragements hit? Or a painful experience? Can we, metaphorically, develop stronger back legs?

When I left my first teaching job in London, I didn’t stop teaching. But I did take some time out.

Perhaps a stronger person than me would have returned to the classroom straight away. But I needed time to re-evaluate. Work out some things. Develop some stronger legs.

And then get up.

After working for an insurance company for a few months, I realised my call was still to teach. I needed to see I was meant to do it. So, I interviewed for a position closer than the school in London; bought myself a car (no more arm-pit nightmares on the tube); and starting educating teenagers again.

It was still hard at times, and the discouragements were frequent but, by the grace of God, I learned to bounce back. Over time.

And I started to enjoy it.

I even got quite good at it.

I think the key for me was believing, ‘I am supposed to do this’. The kangaroo's strength comes from powerful tendons. Mine came from knowing what I was created to do.

Have you ever had an experience where you were able to bounce back?

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Looking for more practical ways to apply these ideas?

Explore the Animal Instincts guided journals and resources.

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