Feb 2017
A Good Sit
It was only the third time in 31 years that I had walked the halls of my school...a place I remember as my own since I joined in grade 4 - where I realized the joy of having friends and the value of learning; from whose tall walls, on which hung portraits of pioneers of the time, the power of legacy and the strength that comes only from doing hard and honorable work; through whose dedicated teachers, the art of walking that almost invisible line that lay between instruction and inspiration, and within whose flexible confines, the facility to articulate the meaning and power of small freedoms.
Surely, the grand corridors needed upkeep and those tall walls a fresh coat of paint and some putty, but those were easy to ignore. The warmth with which I was received by the office staff, and the stars they carried in their eyes as they made conversation with an Old student who came back to visit just like that, was simply overwhelming. It had the same unrelenting quality of kind comfort that my purple tunic-clad self felt through her seven years at Keyes. Jayasree madam walked me through the mechanics of how the administration is doing its best to keep up with changing times, and Archana Salvi madam brought me up to speed on the use of technology. What was more, I got to meet the stars, the kids of today, whose talents and energies continue to make Keyes High School proud! I had the honor of meeting the quiet, gifted, Safa Manal who had just won first place in the twin cities math competition, and Suchitra, the school Head Girl with a ready smile, who seemed like the leader the rest of the gang loved. From what I could tell, everyone seemed super happy to meet me too and that just made my day!
As I walked out of the library/office in my red saree which made for quite a contrast to purple, I found myself quietly answering questions that seemed to be coming from so many intent young eyes...no sooner did I pass the assembly hall on my right, did one girl ask if I was a new teacher. 'I wish' , I heaved a mumbling sigh as a fleeting rumination on the career of my dreams caught me off-guard. 10 seconds later I was glad my thoughts crossed paths with my destination, 10 D. I left my disappointment outside the door of course, and walked into a sea of smiles. There was that irresistible quality of kind comfort again....I chatted with my next gen counterparts for quite some time about this and that. Only a few seconds in and I realized they shared the same sentiments about exam time as me! I always wondered if anything about exams was ever fun and suddenly I felt right at home. I had company! We never knew what the outcome of our ignorant minds paying homage to education would be or if there would any at all, but the thought of straying seemed far more scary. So, it was just something we attempted in all sincerity and got over with.. Thank God for opportunities and experience, and motherhood, I now know better than to shortchange the value of measurement.
That picture of me in the classroom that I have had for sometime on my timeline made many smile because it stirred up their memories and brought random incidents and unmeditated feelings to surface - stuff that made them hungry for a throwback to a time where they could enjoy a Good Sit in those worn out desks, peer over to sneak a joke or two during class, and just make a few more memories, wishing school days had dragged on a little bit longer and we never grew out of our school uniforms ...
"HAPPY is when you have a good sit in the chair against the cupboard in the last bench in class 10 D at Keyes High School chatting with a bunch of 15-year olds.....Life is Good when a walk down memory lane does not seem like it was 31 years ago! "
To be contd. in Part 2...
A Good Sit
It was only the third time in 31 years that I had walked the halls of my school...a place I remember as my own since I joined in grade 4 - where I realized the joy of having friends and the value of learning; from whose tall walls, on which hung portraits of pioneers of the time, the power of legacy and the strength that comes only from doing hard and honorable work; through whose dedicated teachers, the art of walking that almost invisible line that lay between instruction and inspiration, and within whose flexible confines, the facility to articulate the meaning and power of small freedoms.
Surely, the grand corridors needed upkeep and those tall walls a fresh coat of paint and some putty, but those were easy to ignore. The warmth with which I was received by the office staff, and the stars they carried in their eyes as they made conversation with an Old student who came back to visit just like that, was simply overwhelming. It had the same unrelenting quality of kind comfort that my purple tunic-clad self felt through her seven years at Keyes. Jayasree madam walked me through the mechanics of how the administration is doing its best to keep up with changing times, and Archana Salvi madam brought me up to speed on the use of technology. What was more, I got to meet the stars, the kids of today, whose talents and energies continue to make Keyes High School proud! I had the honor of meeting the quiet, gifted, Safa Manal who had just won first place in the twin cities math competition, and Suchitra, the school Head Girl with a ready smile, who seemed like the leader the rest of the gang loved. From what I could tell, everyone seemed super happy to meet me too and that just made my day!
As I walked out of the library/office in my red saree which made for quite a contrast to purple, I found myself quietly answering questions that seemed to be coming from so many intent young eyes...no sooner did I pass the assembly hall on my right, did one girl ask if I was a new teacher. 'I wish' , I heaved a mumbling sigh as a fleeting rumination on the career of my dreams caught me off-guard. 10 seconds later I was glad my thoughts crossed paths with my destination, 10 D. I left my disappointment outside the door of course, and walked into a sea of smiles. There was that irresistible quality of kind comfort again....I chatted with my next gen counterparts for quite some time about this and that. Only a few seconds in and I realized they shared the same sentiments about exam time as me! I always wondered if anything about exams was ever fun and suddenly I felt right at home. I had company! We never knew what the outcome of our ignorant minds paying homage to education would be or if there would any at all, but the thought of straying seemed far more scary. So, it was just something we attempted in all sincerity and got over with.. Thank God for opportunities and experience, and motherhood, I now know better than to shortchange the value of measurement.
That picture of me in the classroom that I have had for sometime on my timeline made many smile because it stirred up their memories and brought random incidents and unmeditated feelings to surface - stuff that made them hungry for a throwback to a time where they could enjoy a Good Sit in those worn out desks, peer over to sneak a joke or two during class, and just make a few more memories, wishing school days had dragged on a little bit longer and we never grew out of our school uniforms ...
"HAPPY is when you have a good sit in the chair against the cupboard in the last bench in class 10 D at Keyes High School chatting with a bunch of 15-year olds.....Life is Good when a walk down memory lane does not seem like it was 31 years ago! "
To be contd. in Part 2...
