The Guiding Stars...

 "...And then,  the whining school- boy,  with his satchel,

    And shining morning face,creeping like snail

    Unwillingly to school...."



As I was browsing the net today for an e-book, I happened to chance upon this classic piece of Shakespeare that was my favorite not long ago.A wave of nostalgia sweeps over me and flashes of my school life rush vividly to my mind.It makes me wish for a chance to relive those years all over again.I reminisce with a sigh,all those sweet and bitter yet very enriching experiences that I have had in my Alma Mater and am baffled at how fast days flew.

I said..."bitter yet enriching" because after having had to move from a CBSE to Matriculation board after my 8th, I was really not welcome by one of my teachers who told me "Our school students are the best.You are going to find it difficult here..You can't score better than my students anyday..."(hmmm...guess they meant ..."we wont allow you to sit in peace";-)..'cause for quite some time I was unable to figure out why...when I would answer a question the same way the "teacher's fav" would,I would always score very less than them).That was the first time I had seen 'a teacher' show BIAS..yup..the first time I felt the presence of that word in my life. I remember going home very disappointed everyday for a few days,not because of the scores but the attitude.

I had not been really keen on changing schools in the first place , for the very obvious reasons coupled with the fact that my brother and I would no longer go to the same school.I must admit that I did whatever I could to ensure that I do not have to bid goodbye to my best friends (I had quite a lot of them ..back then..and they still are among the best ones till date:-))and my favorite teachers.Yeh...I did not do my admission test well;-).I sat there with the aim of scoring less that 80%(required to gain an admission to the IX those days).

As fate(or wait..shouldnt it be 'destiny'?!)would have it, I was still selected!

Right from childhood , a different kind of zeal (what some of my frenz would call "stubbornness") existed in me which I always used in a way that has made people around me happy and proud.

My parents instilled in me the confidence to do well and from that day on, I was determined to (...yes...all those of you who know me well...you got it right).....I was determined to prove a point!(in a good way...of course)

By God's grace,I was successful at it.Till date I have no hard feelings against this teacher because I truly believe that is what fuelled me to give my best shot!(though I do understand this can also lower your morale at times)

Except for a couple of similar unpleasant experiences(quite silly when you look at it today) , I have been fortunate to have had a lovely association with all my teachers and friends from school.

Lotsa memories remain...memories that are sweet and lasting...right from the morning assembly where we would be punished for unpolished shoes, wrong uniform, missing ribbons to organizing Teacher's Day, the Inter House Singing competition (this was truly fun because imagine a scene where no student would be spared..all of us HAD to sing..no excuses !..and also the fact that till the D-day you get almost 2 periods off everyday for practice made it a much awaited event) ,the culturals at St.Thomas,all the fun,the friendships,the failures too ...and ...of course...isn't all this incomplete without a mention of the moments of enlightenment!


Like all good things, even this had to come to an end.

Each one of us drifted away,pursuing new horizons,fighting our own battles to carve a niche for ourselves.

Parting seemed so cruel and unbearable yet inevitable.

I truly cherish all my trips down memory lane and always hold those years close to my heart...and hats off to the people who made this place memorable - the lovely teachers!

Isn't it one of the most noble professions till date...a teacher's .

They are truly the ones with a very special heart - spending extra time with a student explaining or guess we should say...'drilling' the derivations and theories into our very thick(!!) skulls , listening to all our doubts (or the same ones for months together)so patiently,encouraging each one , be it the slow learners,the indifferent,the troublesome,the aggressive,the diffident ones,they manage to put in their best day after day,always willing to lend a helping hand without expecting any kind of appreciation!Hats off!

They are truly blessed with immense diligence and loads of patience , I am sure.Truly among the perfect

people from whom we could learn what commitment is all about!

Like our parents,they too have been a guiding light moulding us in the right way and giving us the confidence to fly high over the skies of success and emerge unscathed and victorious in life.

So guys,spare a few minutes from your busy schedule tomorrow(Why?!....Coz its Teachers Day dude...September 5, remember?!)and get in touch with all those lovely teachers who have Made A Difference in your life!Heyy..wait a sec...why do you have to wait for Teachers Day to talk to them??!

U dont need A DAY to make them feel special...do you?!