Today the memories traveled further than I expected. I landed in the year 1992, I was in class 9. I have some very fond memories of those years from grade 8- 10. I was coming into my own. my personality was taking shape. I was well liked, I was accepted as a good writer and poetess. I had huge amount of friends, I took part in elocution's, debates, drama, I was teaching poor children under the literacy programme run by my Alma mat re.
The memory that came up today is very significant. Certain occurrences in that age leave a stamp on you for life, they make you or break you, as an American saying goes you can take a girl out of high school, you can't take her high school out of her.....
1992, our sports day was over. Now we were all worked up about the farewell party we had to plan for our seniors before they left for the board exams prep holidays. Now for us youngsters this was a very grave matter. We had discussed animatedly amongst ourselves and all three sections of grade 9th had loved my suggestion on the theme.... Arabian Nights... they all loved my suggestion and as i remember it was pretty unanimous where agreement on the theme was concerned. our imaginations went on the over drive, what food, what decorations, what costumes we talked nineteen to a dozen.
A dampener happened when as in all convents , we need teachers to approve and guide us on any endeavour. There were 7-8 teacher lined up in front of us. Some of those teachers we were mortified of. Some of us would actually start stammering in front of a couple of them, who were now sitting in front of us. One teacher, let me not take names, got up and addressed us all. She said the teacher agreed the Arabian Nights was a lovely concept ,but the teachers agree that there was no need, to go with this theme. She went on, we, the students had already got bouquets of paper flowers prepared for our sports day, it would be a shame to waste all of them. She went on to tell us the theme we would go with was a garden of flowers...
There was stunned silence. These were our seniors, we wanted to impress them, wanted to fare them well with a big bang. This was our equivalent of the prom night minus boys. I got up with a mild protest and told the teacher that we all wanted to go with the Arabian Nights theme, after a few sulking back and forth , the teachers we all dreaded started getting upset. One of them got up and said, if you want to go with the Arabian Nights, know this , the teachers will in no way help with the execution, planning or have anything to do with it. Again silence ( this silence is a big deal when you're talking of about a hundred 14 year old girls) She continued after a dramatic pause, if you still feel you'd like to go ahead with the theme, then stand up. I stood up.....
I stood up and faced all of them. I did not look around to see who else had stood up, the smirk on the teacher's faces told me, I was alone. I continued to stand, there was no murmurings, no whispering, no shuffling, Just silence.... I must have stood like that for about 5-10 minutes, it difficult to gauge time accurately in moments like this, suddenly I saw the expressions of my teachers changing, from my peripheral vision I could see a few girls from the other section getting up, you will not believe it but in the next few minutes all the girls were standing. The teachers were shocked. Girls don't do such things. we are supposed to be afraid of those teachers. we are supposed to bow to their ideas, revere them, accept they know more, they know better, yet we all stood, without giggling, without talking, we just all stood. There was nothing more to say. The teachers walked out.
I did not do much else, there were team leaders for pretty much every aspect. Being the "poetess" I was asked to write four lines for the invitation card, that was about it. Needless to say Arabian Nights was a huge success. we all walked proud and happy and our seniors were thrilled.
I learnt a great deal that day. Dare I say I grew up that day. I understood, when you're in the right, nothing can make you afraid, your heart doesn't thump wildly, you don't look around for support, you don't doubt your action. you stand tall, silently....In Moments of far deeper implications, than this trivial incident that I expect most of the girls present there would have forgotten years back, Over the next 2 decades, moments of decision that would alter my life for ever, I test my insides by these parameters.Parameter that got me clarity at that young age. Parameters that I knew come from the courage of conviction. I use these parameters even now and then I know ,if what I'm doing is what I really believe in.... I know what inner strength means. I know when I'm right I need not seek support it will come to me....
aahhhh yes about those paper flowers, as per my suggestion, we used them to decorate the staff room... what can I say I've always been cheeky
The memory that came up today is very significant. Certain occurrences in that age leave a stamp on you for life, they make you or break you, as an American saying goes you can take a girl out of high school, you can't take her high school out of her.....
1992, our sports day was over. Now we were all worked up about the farewell party we had to plan for our seniors before they left for the board exams prep holidays. Now for us youngsters this was a very grave matter. We had discussed animatedly amongst ourselves and all three sections of grade 9th had loved my suggestion on the theme.... Arabian Nights... they all loved my suggestion and as i remember it was pretty unanimous where agreement on the theme was concerned. our imaginations went on the over drive, what food, what decorations, what costumes we talked nineteen to a dozen.
A dampener happened when as in all convents , we need teachers to approve and guide us on any endeavour. There were 7-8 teacher lined up in front of us. Some of those teachers we were mortified of. Some of us would actually start stammering in front of a couple of them, who were now sitting in front of us. One teacher, let me not take names, got up and addressed us all. She said the teacher agreed the Arabian Nights was a lovely concept ,but the teachers agree that there was no need, to go with this theme. She went on, we, the students had already got bouquets of paper flowers prepared for our sports day, it would be a shame to waste all of them. She went on to tell us the theme we would go with was a garden of flowers...
There was stunned silence. These were our seniors, we wanted to impress them, wanted to fare them well with a big bang. This was our equivalent of the prom night minus boys. I got up with a mild protest and told the teacher that we all wanted to go with the Arabian Nights theme, after a few sulking back and forth , the teachers we all dreaded started getting upset. One of them got up and said, if you want to go with the Arabian Nights, know this , the teachers will in no way help with the execution, planning or have anything to do with it. Again silence ( this silence is a big deal when you're talking of about a hundred 14 year old girls) She continued after a dramatic pause, if you still feel you'd like to go ahead with the theme, then stand up. I stood up.....
I stood up and faced all of them. I did not look around to see who else had stood up, the smirk on the teacher's faces told me, I was alone. I continued to stand, there was no murmurings, no whispering, no shuffling, Just silence.... I must have stood like that for about 5-10 minutes, it difficult to gauge time accurately in moments like this, suddenly I saw the expressions of my teachers changing, from my peripheral vision I could see a few girls from the other section getting up, you will not believe it but in the next few minutes all the girls were standing. The teachers were shocked. Girls don't do such things. we are supposed to be afraid of those teachers. we are supposed to bow to their ideas, revere them, accept they know more, they know better, yet we all stood, without giggling, without talking, we just all stood. There was nothing more to say. The teachers walked out.
I did not do much else, there were team leaders for pretty much every aspect. Being the "poetess" I was asked to write four lines for the invitation card, that was about it. Needless to say Arabian Nights was a huge success. we all walked proud and happy and our seniors were thrilled.
I learnt a great deal that day. Dare I say I grew up that day. I understood, when you're in the right, nothing can make you afraid, your heart doesn't thump wildly, you don't look around for support, you don't doubt your action. you stand tall, silently....In Moments of far deeper implications, than this trivial incident that I expect most of the girls present there would have forgotten years back, Over the next 2 decades, moments of decision that would alter my life for ever, I test my insides by these parameters.Parameter that got me clarity at that young age. Parameters that I knew come from the courage of conviction. I use these parameters even now and then I know ,if what I'm doing is what I really believe in.... I know what inner strength means. I know when I'm right I need not seek support it will come to me....
aahhhh yes about those paper flowers, as per my suggestion, we used them to decorate the staff room... what can I say I've always been cheeky
.... and so the doe eyed BAMBI , stood her ground against the pack of wolves , fearing none , believing that she was in the right and there was nothing that could waiver her conviction .... this is what this beautifully constructed slice-of-life points towards.small memories but everlasting teachings that the soul derives are very potent ... lovely piece of work :)
ReplyDeleteI always knew you wrote well and in a prolific manner... but your words are flowing with renewed gusto now. I can detect an definite ascension in spirit - and I can't be happier for you. Daddy-long-hair seems to have made his mark... :)
ReplyDeleteDon't stop writing.