I have been to two high schools for my studies. While I spent lesser time in it, St. Gregorios has been responsible for some of my most memorable experiences, and wonderful learnings. I imagine that this is the speech that I have been invited to speak over there.
This is a very interesting feeling, to be on this side of the stage and speaking on the microphone. I have been nudged more than once by a friend when I had dozed off in one such speeches, and called out when a friend saw me eating chocolates or chewing gum. What are friends for, if not to occasionally get you into trouble?
I was asked before being invited back here, to speak on the path of life. Of course non one needed to have gone through the trouble of inviting me. One can never be invited back home, we just walk back in its comforting presence. What better manner to talk about the path of life than to speak through the memories that I cherish of this place, some similar to what you will end up with as well.
One of my most memorable craft classes was the one involving masks and puppets. As the class assignment all of us had to prepare a mask or puppet each. There were no compulsions as to what we had to interpret or portray, or which craft skill we had to use. One would think that in itself the act of mask making would be fun enough, we were told that the kindergarten classes would be grading us. The final class would involve us putting up a team effort to enact stories with our masks and puppets for the KG kids.
The whole idea behind our work changed, and it was as fun for us as the KG kids when the acts were being performed. I don’t remember who was more excited on the final day, the KG kids who were having enjoying the show, or us who were having a wonderful time putting on the act for them. What I am trying to tell here is that if you have to do something, you put in more effort if it is fun, and you enjoy it.
Of all the classes we had, I think the one that I ended up loving the most was Library. I know, library doesn’t have a set curriculum, or something specific to learn like we have in other subjects. But library gave me something that many classes cannot compare to. It gave me the love of reading. While it was never forced that we had to issue a book more than the once per week Library class, a bunch of us ended up issuing books much often. Reading was always encouraged for us. We were taught how to write reviews, and there was pride in one’s review being displayed on the library notice board for others to read.
I remember the discussions we had, students and teachers together. Discussions about the book we had last read, what we thought of it, and the recommendations to the next book. At the height of it, we were issuing books every second day, using the lunch time to change our books from the library. The books would get devoured in the bus on the way back home. Home was no different. Once home work and studies were done with, and dinner eaten; I would be in the bedroom propped with the latest book that I had had issued. Hours could go away on such nights and on holidays to the extent that a person like me would have to be called twice to the lunch table.
I remember when we had been to Bangalore for an inter-school competition, and were on the way back to our accommodation from the event site. We were playing a Harry Potter quiz, and Principal ma’am commented that had we put in half as much effort in our course studies, we would have all been scoring more than 90%.
The idea over here is to find something that you love. The moment you start loving something, you forget the amount of effort you put into things. All that will matter is doing it. Fun and love. These are the two things that I believe you must have, in your path of life.
Post written as a guest author for the team of Project 365. The prompt was to “You’ve been asked to speak at your high school alma mater — about the path of life. (Whoa.) Draft the speech.”
Written for day 6 of the A-Z challenge 2014.
And I write 
I think the fun way of learning has more impact than the age old form of spoon-force feeding us with information. You have such wonderful memories.
You know how to make puppets? I have just scripted a puppet show. But now I am tempted to watch some videos about this craft. You have inspired me!!!
That makes for a wonderful speech. Maybe you should go back and give it now 🙂
Unfortunately, the year I left school was also the year it changed completely- old staff left, new staff were brought in, different principal, different uniforms- in short, only the name remained the same. So, never had a reason to go back.
A love of reading is priceless, and immeasurably valuable.
I like this the best of all your posts, so far. 🙂
(I loved them all by the way)
Your post reminded me of how I used to have my eyes glued to a book always 🙂
If we were in school together, we would be in the same ‘group’ of friends. Not just because you seem to have had a regular supply of chocolate ever since, but also because I would have haunted the same places! 😀 Thanks for writing this, Hrishikesh. Enjoyed it and now itching to talk about my own school-ish experience.
Fun and love has to be motto of our lives. I loved this post more for some reason. It took me back to school, it took me what I missed not reading in early years but glad I took it later in life, it took me to the puppet show I organised with some of my friends and what a blast it was. It took me to the happy realization that I and TBH more or less do what we love and how the sister is getting there :). One wonderful post this is :). Thanks for the early morning goodness 🙂
Enjoyed reading this. Found kinship here among fellow booklovers. 🙂 Thanks for this.
I loved our school library. It had such a vast collection of books. Feeling nostalgic now.
Interesting !
Not all schools have this library provision .. U r lucky that u got one and your principal mam , does she even read HP 😛 ?
good one hrishikesh. FUN and LOVE – yes much needed elements in life
What better goal can one give youngsters than to find Fun and love. Or fun in love… or Love in fun. 🙂
Yes! To have fun with what we do is important. 🙂 My fav class was Art & English. Art for it gave me freedom to explore colours in life. English coz it gave me the confidence to express well in fiction and verse. 🙂 still enjoy both.
That’s a lovely speech Hrisikesh. I pretty much would have said the same thing if I had to give the speech….love for books and et al 🙂
Fun…would you believe me if I said I never had fun during schools? I didn’t I was a nerd, lost in my studies and books (that was the only fun thing I did). I am compensating for it now, reliving my childhood with my kids. And we sure have a lot of fun together 😀
The best results always come when one enjoys what one is doing, be it studies or work.
I liked the expression, “to the extent that a person like me would have to be called twice to the lunch table.”
Ahh, the library, the best of all places. Stories, Fiction, Drama, Mystery, Thriller…longing to get back to those days. And yes, fun and love are two vital elements without which a life is as good as wasted.
Loved the post. Reminded me of my school and college days. They seem like an eternity away. Boo hoo… I am old !!!
Such a sweet post. Absolutely loved it
“if you have to do something, you put in more effort if it is fun, and you enjoy it.” – totally agree with this statement! And it’s so good to hear about your book discussions in school. I wish more schools were doing it even now….
That was indeed a wonderful school, for it encouraged in you all the love of books, and fun in all that you learnt 🙂
And your speech is awesome. Truly it is! I love the way you introduced yourself, and I am sure, (I visualize these things 🙂 ) that an instant connect formed between you and the bubbling, bubbly audience!
Very wise words there – put across as simply as possible. Yo. You got it right!
Loved this post – as Shail has said… of the best I’ve read here – and all of them are really good ones too!
Oh, the joys of reading! 🙂
lovely speeah, lots of common things there which I did ay school, loved it 🙂
The school library brings back so many memories!! 🙂
Loved your posts!!
and yes, the fun way of learning is so much better than the way we learnt things in school.. by hearting and spoon feeding doesn’t go a long way!
Absolutely loved this one ! Can totally relate to that Harry Potter quiz session. We learn all the hard things as we are passionate about it.
I sometimes tell my daughter to put music to the lines which she needs to write word for word from the text book. It helps her as she is crazy abt music.