In Search of a Genius

I don’t know when it started, but as long as I can remember, I’ve had a great admiration and fascination for great intellectual minds; for people whom we call geniuses. I often asked myself what it would be like to meet a true genius. As a teacher I have wondered if it were possible, at least theoretically, to create a school environment that would cultivate genius in a way that has not been done before. Surely as an instructor the subject has intrigued and frustrated me, for I always felt that the elements of genius were inaccessible to me. It was my belief that the word genius was reserved for a super-gifted few, on whom nature had bestowed extraordinary intellects.

Once in my life, I have had the honor of knowing someone who I am sure was a genius; his name was Andre Germaine, and he was a gentleman of unparalleled intellect. He was also a scholar: a poet, a philosopher and an author of many books, he was truly the embodiment of the classic Renaissance man.

Monsieur Germaine, who resided at the Swiss hotel where I was employed, was quite old when I first met him. I was a simple Commis in the hotel, and one of my duties was to accompany him to the hotel garden, where Monsieur Germaine enjoyed watching the sunset. This was a job that we all volunteered for, as M. Germaine was always charming and kind to the employees of the hotel.    

One evening I had the privilege of being invited to his hotel suite. Monsieur Germaine, often invited peoples to his suite, where he would on occasion read some of his poems. He wrote poetry different from anything I had ever encountered, or have encountered since, and I loved listening to him recite his poems, which were smooth, with soft rhythmic cadenzas, fraught with depth of meaning. He read them not as monotone recitals, but enunciated each word with faultless of inflection; his words revealed a passion for literature and an ode to the human spirit. M. Germaine’s poems were gems of literature floating on a river of love emanating straight from his heart. He spoke with eloquence and serene charm. Poetry, he said, was not a simple rhyme of unrelated words and obscure meanings; it was the language of the soul, and the one medium through which our innermost manifests itself; it gives us permission to dream and to love ad infinitum.

Furthermore, if we are lucky, and the universe is kind to us, we will be able to take from it something bigger than ourselves. Monsieur Germane believed that there is an infinite intelligence out there, and we can avail ourselves of it if we work hard enough. I was fascinated by this old gentleman. “Monsieur Germaine,” I told him one evening, after he had just read some of his poems, “your poems are so beautiful. You are a genius!” He looked at me and said: “So are you! We all are, you see mon petit, we came to this earth with all the components and the attributes necessary to live our lives to the fullest, including a touch of genius! You must make your heart worthy and it will come to you. Ultimately, you will understand that there is a treasure in your heart, and that it has always been there.”

I was quite young, and I am not sure I understood then what he said. Monsieur Germaine, in my opinion, he  belonged to another time, a time when superior intellects and classic literature were the highest form of human achievement.

When I started teaching I kept searching for a philosophy that would guide me and ultimately make me a better teacher. I was, and still am, convinced that the art of teaching is never learned, for it is a lifelong learning process, a process that one never quite masters

I kept on thinking on Monsieur Germaine words. There is a touch of genius in all of us.

So now before I start a class I remind myself that each one of my students has all the attributes, the components and the talents to achieve greatness—indeed they all possess a streak of genius. I also know in my heart that the students sitting in front of me and listening to my lectures are a gift to the culinary business, for it is through their talent and hard works that our business will continue to grow and flourish. I am also conscious of the impact they will have on our economy and that they will ultimately improve the quality of life and add to the prestige of our nation. I feel privileged and honored for being part of their life. I no longer feel the need to search for geniuses; I know in my heart that they are closer than I ever thought possible.

I have been teaching for several years. I felt this way for some time and I never been proven wrong, and I am convinced I never will.

Urbano Salvati

  

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