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| Pic Courtesy:RB |
With just days for me to step
out of this institution, serious questions are arising in my mind. It is
gladdening that finally I have learned to come up with questions for everything
that goes around me, though I don't get answers for half of my queries.
The question that
constantly nags me is what have I gained from the six years at college?
This might not be a surprise question to many because I know that majority are
with me in that. So, this is the account of my quest for its answer which started
off right from the moment I began typing this out.
Six years! It passed so quickly
by I hardly can forget each and every second of it. It was an experience that
taught me what I should be and what I should not be. Fortunately or
unfortunately, the latter list is the longest. I learned that it is hard to be
what I am, because everywhere people are more concerned about how bad others
are than of oneself. So unless one develops a very tough skin (get it patented
first to avoid further troubles!!), it is difficult to be oneself. Hmm..
“Past experience, if not
forgotten, is a guide to the future.”My first
gain is the hoard of lessons I learned ((of course, not from the books!)).So
what were the valuable lessons that I learned?
1. Befriend yourself first, then
think of befriending others. There are situations when you have no one but
yourself, if you don’t want to be lonely, then be your friend first!!Because, you are the only person who knows you and sticks by you through thick and thin.
2. You don’t have to prove to
others anything. Ultimately, it’s you and your life. So, every time you fall, be happy that you have learned yet another lesson and that you are richer in
lessons. In fact, I have fallen more than once and have been so adamant that I
would not learn anything from it. I sulked and kept on blaming myself rather
than thinking of the brighter side. Somewhere, I realized with the help of some
wonderful teachers and friends, that whatever happens, I have to be me!!
3. A true friend is the one who is
there for you all the time, who believes that it is his duty to tell you that
you are wrong when you have committed a blunder, the one who loves you for being YOU, with all
the negative and positive traits, most importantly, the one who wants you to be a better person and wants you to succeed . So, when you have people clapping for you, even when you keep doing one mistake after another, ask once, to your heart “are they really my
friends?”
4. “All that smiles is not true”.
There is good and bad in everything. But, when you have people around, who know
to smile at others, and later talk ill of them, BE ALERT!! If they are doing this to others, they can do the same to you. These are the signals
that will help you to understand that for the good of others, stay far from the
“smileys”. Else, you will drown in their negative aura, and will be infected
with the deadliest virus, nothing will seem right to you from then on.
5. Every action has an equal and
opposite reaction. The more good you are, the greater the hurdles you have to
face. Stay the same but be willing to change for the better.
These are the excerpts from a
page of the epic of my college life. I guess these lessons are indeed a gain
after the series of losses that incurred.
“One may have friends
all over the world, but very few will truly know your heart.”This was the greatest realization, I ever had. The art of dealing
with human character and thoughts is hard to learn. What makes it even more complex
is that we are all are trying to live up to William Shakespeare’s words (in the
opposite way that would have left even Shakespeare speechless!). “All
the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their
exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts,” The
only problem is that we are trying to play the many parts at the same time.
Alas, there are no Oscars for this bit of finest acting.
All the above beating around the
bush, finally leads me to the conclusion that my second gain is the few but
trustworthy friends that I have amassed. When everything around me had gone
wrong, more than once, I had my friends ((my guardian angels)) who constantly
reminded that they were there for me. “When people are true friends,
even shared water tastes sweet.” Some one very wise had written the
above quote. In my case, I would like to add that the single bar of chocolate
shared by many, in between classes were the sweetest!!
The third gain is the memories
that I have, the bitter and the sweet!!Though at times I feel that life (or
some people??) is unkind, I cannot ignore the memories that are enriching me.
Memories are priceless, they have the magic to keep us alive on the dullest of
days and to make us sad on the happiest days. How can I forget the small trips to some beautiful places with great friends, the classes when all
are in their own worlds, the silly but funny games and pranks played, the jokes
that can make only us laugh, the times when my friends begged me to stop the
recital of my never ending tales so that they could get some rest to their ears
(hey guys, I know that I have never granted your requests, but still, I don’t
repent it. Because, we did get many moments to look back and laugh upon later
in life)….memories are countless!! It’s a treasure that is not trade -able.
I cling on to it and will continue doing so!!
I guess I am lucky enough to
realize my gains and jot it down, because I am feeling so overwhelmed. Even the
seconds that passed by, had light years of gifts in store for me, most of which
I did not care enough of, but some of which had more than enough care for me!! The
list is not complete and never will it, but for the time being, these three
make me a billionaire!! Thanks a zillion times to all those who have made me
the richest. My college life is not just about me, it’s about the lives of who
have touched my life in small but significant ways. And, this is for them for
lighting up my life. Let not my words nor my memories fade away, because
without these, I am incomplete!!
