The teachers in my life!

My parents were not well off when I was a child. I studied in a normal school in our locality. But I am so thankful that my parents sent me to that school because today I am what I am because of the school teachers there. My headmistress wouldn’t let us into the school if our uniforms were crumpled a bit, if our shoes were not polished, if our nails were not neatly cut or dirt free. She would send us back home. She taught me discipline, punctuality and integrity. Today I have a good vocabulary, Strict about not using SMS lingo, love for English, an enviable handwriting, understand, read and write Hindi when I have not crossed the border of Chennai. If I am writing today, it is definitely because of the teachers and my headmistress in this school. It’s because they made sure I got my basics right that I am able to remember it even after 2 decades.

I used to be a very notorious kid and a below average student. I hate Maths, Physics, Chemistry, History, you name the subject and I hate it. I basically hated to study. If there were 2 subjects that had all my attention and dedication it was English and computer science. I was sure I wouldn’t clear 10^th or 12^th and go to college. My parents had given up on me. But it was my headmistress at school who made sure I studied and studied with interest. She would make me come to her home for tuitions and I always sat next to her. For some reason she believed in me I don’t know why. When everyone was sure that I will never come up in life. She just said, “I know you have the potential. You just don’t want to do it” Needless to say I am a rebel, have always been, I never listen to anyone. I don’t do the things if I don’t want to do it. But she made me listen to her. I loved and respected her. She has always guided me. It is because of her I am where I am today. She did all these to me without expecting anything in return. I had a physics teacher who had 4 sisters and he was the bread earner of the family. A very poor man, yet he gave us physics tuitions for free. He remains the same till today, poor and unmarried. Everytime I meet him or see him somewhere I feel bad he doesn’t accept money from anyone. I didn’t want to give him money and insult him.

That’s the type of profession it is - a very thankless job. We grow up into engineers, doctors, writers, go abroad and make a lot of money. But they remain what they are! Teachers! We forget them and don’t even meet them after finishing school or college. OK I don’t want to generalize, I don’t! I still remember the secret things we plan at school, keep secret gifts and anonymous note on their table, send anonymous greetings and gifts, plan the cultural activities and treat them special. It is their day. A day we should celebrate them which we should have ideally done everyday. So today, let’s take a moment to thank them if you have their numbers please pick the phone and thank them, buy them a gift we are earning a lot now so let’s get them a well deserved gift. Tomorrow’s a weekend, find a teacher and go meet them. Tell them they are special and you are what you are today because of them. I am going to! J

Apart from this, I want to thank those who have hurt me, insulted me, left me heartbroken, a friend who stopped talking to me all of a sudden and seeing her every single day was like taking a knife in my chest, a best friend whom I loved more than myself insulted and left me because she trusted someone more than me, a friend who always took me for granted and hurt me in every single instance, only to prove me that I should always draw a line no matter how much I love that person. A good old friend who stopped being in touch with me but used my little popularity to make friends around (She taught me how shameless people can get in more than one instance!). I would love to thank all these people because you have been a very special teacher in a good way because today I know how not to treat people because of you. I know where to channel my love and trust and who deserved it because of you. I would love and take a bow to the manager who kept pushing me and pushing me to the greatest limits because he believed in me when no one did. I would like to thank one of my TLs who never failed to say every single day that I am worthless and did not deserve to be in IT. I proved him wrong because of him.

I would like to thank life for slapping me so hard and harder everytime I tried to get up there were times I thought I will never get up and be what I want to be.

I would like to thank these people who smirked when I fell through and through only to get up and run miles and miles faster and stronger. As you sit watching me awestruck and jealous, I know many of you read my blogs “secretly” and comment anonymously, I want to tell you all that I have made it. I am what I want to be and I will be what I want to be. I will always get there! Keep watching and yes, please! Get a life. Thank you for saying I cannot do it because you know what? Without that word I wouldn’t have come back stronger. I will not be what I am today and the person I want to be! You have all been great teachers. Happy Teacher’s day!!