Learn your lessons when its taught!

Scene 1
11th std

It was a pleasant day with birds chirping and the sun giving off refulgent streaks in the sky and so on blah blah for the sake of literature. We were having yet another very interesting English class with the teacher and few of the students discussing how best to decipher the ancient mariner’s plight and the rest of the class debating on how best to complete the heap of homework given by the tuition sirs without maam noticing. There was to be one more hour of the same predicament so the teacher decided to give us a well deserved break. The well deserved applied to her also because she was exhausted by our persistent doubts on why the albatross chose that particular path. So we all move out of the class for some fresh air and suddenly our eyes collectively rest on the new park in the school premises exclusively for the primary kids. There was to be a fine imposed on any of us well mannered seniors found lurking in the vicinity. But on that fateful day the sight of a vacant children’s park aroused the child in all of us and we headed nonchalantly towards the various kiddo playthings. We were hanging from bars, playing on swings, slides and attacking everything we found there as if we were back in our kg classes. A few of us saw the see saw that went roundabout and clambered onto it enthusiastically. We were having a great time when all of a sudden I noticed my friends (wonder if they deserve being called thus!!!) falling out one by one. Myself being the shortest couldn’t do so without help. So I expected them to assist me with the same although I saw no reason why we had to stop. But they had no such intentions. All seemed to be retreating from the park leaving me alone making rounds on the see-saw. And to my horror I realized that they’d escaped because the watchman was approaching. I could do nothing but helplessly have fun on my own until the watchman graciously agreed to put an end to my embarrassing misery. But thankfully he didn’t ask me to remit the fine maybe because of the pathetic looks I was giving out. All the while my friends (ahem) were watching the fun from a safe distance and received me back with a “did he also mistake you for a primary kid”[:]

I thought that was the end because once you make such mistakes and go through the subsequent embarrassment you are bound to learn your lesson. But little did i knw that it had to have a repeat performance!

Scene 2
4 years later…final year at college

Our classes had just begun and we were all reminiscing the past years and mourning about how much we’d miss bunking classes. Our last onam at college was just a few days off. Discussions ensued on how we could make it memorable. We could only discuss as onam was mostly a celebration for the guys as we gals were wrapped up n constrained by the 5m long fabric (which would be yet another celebration for the guys:-P). And there at a distance oscillates the swing beckoning us to mount it. I promptly answer its call and lunge towards it only to find that it hangs at my neck level. But I had to prove am no loser and with so many of my friends (:-) to help I could not even think of leaving the battleground. So I climb up the stairs near it while my chums brought the swing closer and with intense dedication and determination I succeed in my efforts. By this time I had the attention of all those who were roaming about the grounds (which is much more than the number of students in the classrooms) and being the cynosure of all eyes I was basking in pride to have put up such a heroic stunt. The swing was scaling heights with me feeling I was on top of the world. That indeed was the highest I’d ever been to I guess. Suddenly the mobile rings and we get the sms that sir is in class (oh yea, we’ve gone modern). All of them scurry off leaving yours truly dangling at the mercy of the winds. My screams went unanswered as they found it quite amusing to leave me in such a precarious position. Only one of them stayed back not because she wanted to help me get down but to give a real time account on the rest of my plight and to give me an occasional shove so that I could soar up high. Those were the few minutes when the long forgotten past incident crawled up my mind. Then I thought it was time to act so I started calling out to anyone who came and asked for help. I wouldn’t have minded staying there longer but attendance was something I couldn’t afford to lose considering the very few days I ‘visit’ college. Many sympathizers came running only to give me a shove as if they thought I wasn’t flying high enough with all the attention. I realized that self help is the best and gave a mighty leap after the swaying had dampened a bit. And thus after yet another reminder of always keep your foot on the ground I guess I’ve learnt my lesson. If not I hope this would be a constant reminder and pull me back before I set off on a similar endevour.