Where is your Nose?

The other day, my friends and I caused a small stir in front of our classroom and unwittingly made some ingenuous mistakes; all this while a sly vulpine woman kept her watch on us. I am writing this, not because she scolded us, but because she lashed out at us and tried to warn us without ample knowledge of the act.

Nowadays, people poke their noses in as many matters as possible, but never realize that they've left out their brains. People tend to gather information (or rumors) from hither and thither, and come to a conclusion spontaneously; never actually trying to know the true version of the incident from the source. This holds true especially for those people who believe it is their job to correct others.

I have seen teachers getting frustrated scolding a student; never to realize that they don't even know half the story. They tend to see an activity, which they believe is wrong, and then there is a barrage of scoldings, comments, and suggestions. They fail to ask the most important question, 'WHY?' Slowly, but surely, a smile or even a teasing laugh comes on the victim's face, and the hell breaks loose. Have you ever realized why the student laughs? I believe there are two reasons: either he has realized his mistakes, is regretting it, and is trying to hide his feelings, or he has realized that the teacher is not interested in knowing the root of the problem and there is no way to stop the castigation.

After all the rebuke, what is the result? The teacher gets the reputation of being a martinet and consequently the weak-hearted victims will crack a joke behind his/her back to liven things up. It is never a good idea to warn an adolescent, or any person for that matter, because he will go leaps and bounds to know the punishment you are capable of dishing out.

I believe, the only way to correct/improve someone is to make him explain his mistakes and their causes himself, because it is only his conscience that he is answerable to. I believe only conscience can correct a person.


P.S.
If you find your views supporting or contradicting mine, please do look into the fascinating subject of psychology.

Humble Beginnings?

"Guys, who's class is it?"; "Oh, no"; "Let's catch up in the canteen"; these are the hushed voices one hears in our class before a lecturer arrives; and what happens after the lecturer arrives is ineffable.

Going back a few months, I see myself in a new institution, a completely new setting. We were freshly dispatched from different factories and were brought to this sorting facility, so that we could be sieved according to our merit and packed off to universities. We are expected to choose among the same old trodden paths (the careers where one is expected to earn the most).

The first few days of my college were very inert. The entry was even worse: I came in 15 minutes late to my first class and was told that I was too early for the next! I had introduced myself to the lecturer in English and some of my classmates had come to the conclusion that I knew neither Kannada nor Hindi nor Marathi (as a matter of fact, I haven't learnt to speak Marathi yet).

Having been in Hubli for the last 5 years, and now joining a science institution in Belgaum, where you know none, is a bit bizarre but more of a boon. There is absolutely no chance for any of my old stories to creep up; whether good, bad or embarrassing! Having my choice of language annulled (I had opted for French as a second language, but had to take up Hindi instead) and then having to write notes aimlessly in every class is a bit frustrating, but I feel it is better to adjust myself for the better, than try to change others altogether. So, I'm signing off this talk, hoping that I'll feel more comfortable in our college in the days to come.

P.S.

I had written this piece 8-9 months ago, and I'd more than agree now that I've adjusted well to the new place and made many new acquaintances and friends.

A Decision

Two days ago, a score of 600 in writing on the SAT shattered my false impression that my English writing was perspicuous, cogent and nothing short of brilliant. (I guess, being an introvert has its downsides too; it robbed me of my vital skills of expression.)

The dams have cracked; more and more confusion has started to seep in. What to do? What not to do? I've begun over-thinking things; planning for tomorrow, for the next week, for the next month and what not. My thoughts are making the situation sound more serious than they actually are.

But, yesterday, a pathway emerged in the form of my biology instructor's words. His digressions on working hard seemed to ring a bell, inspiring me to keep working until some more doors open up. So here I am today, with a decision to try the philosophy of working hard and hoping for the best, in short, a decision to try harder at being an optimist.