May 12, 2011

The roads I have taken...

I may not have topped every class since I could spell A for Apple and B for Ball.

I may not have cracked the IAS.

I may not be an IIT graduate.

I may never have won a gold medal.

My picture may never appear in the newspaper for outstanding achievements.

And the only thing I know about Quantum Mechanics might be the spelling.


But I had wonderful parents and a sister.

I had a cheerful childhood.

I had an apt adolescence

I had a turbulent teenage, just the way it’s meant to be.

I had a life outside of classrooms and tuition centers.

I was given the option to read things other than textbooks and study materials.

I was given the option to dance to not just the tunes of an education system.

I was allowed to learn by rote poems and stories and not just math formulas and theory of Relativity.

I was learning about the solar system in class two for the joy of learning- not as a preparatory for the entrance exams 10 years later.

I was taught that ambition is important, but I was allowed to choose that ambition.

And that has made all the difference…*



*From The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.

9 comments:

  1. I was reading that poem just today. Robert Frost has some amazing stuff and yes, this is real good, lol. You also write the best blog posts ever, add that too.. :)

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  2. and I am happy to be my naughty daughty's mommy

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  3. @DawnZhang and Musings: Blogger is being a cranky kid and i'm not able to publish the comments that you posted. Can you please post them again.

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  4. Nothing really. Just looking forward to another masterpiece from you..
    Cheers!

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  5. Just for your reference..this was my earlier comment..(need/need not necessarily publish this)

    Narcissism is a virtue in today's world where no one has time for themselves. Having said that, your past some posts have been a narcissism overdrive. All about I, me, myself.(Don't know if its just my feeling..and of course, the writing is still good)

    You are blessed with the ability and language to portray even the most ordinary of events in a fashion that astounds all the wanna-be writers in today's blogosphere.

    Looking forward to another pearl from your virtual pen. Cheers!

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  6. @Musings: Well, if you have felt that the last few posts have been about I, me, myself, then it is because this blog is about I, me, myself.
    Having said that, let me clarify a few things:-
    # The last post is not so much about me as it is about the choices I have been given by my parents. So essentially, it was a thank you post for my parents, in case you didn't get it. And I can only speak for myself when writing about something like this. How can I tell how others feel about the career they've chosen and the choices they have been given? I am nobody to judge that.
    # The post before that is about India, a country that is as much mine as it is yours.
    # The post before that is about my cycle. I can't write about someone else's cycle, right?
    # And the one before that is about mallu weddings. I'm not married yet, so that is definitely not about me.

    I'm not sure whether narcissism is a virtue or not, but I have never pretended to be otherwise. It's right up there on my profile description for all to see.
    Even though your comment has sarcastic undertone to it, I shall still take it as a compliment. Because that's what narcissists do. :)

    Thank you for the mixed reaction. I appreciate it.

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  7. Na.. no sarcasm at all. All in good will.

    Keep writing. :)

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  8. Sambhavami Yuge Yuge...Sometimes the things we do,we don;t see two roads,just one and we take it..
    Psst,Psst: Narcissism,like purple,is not a crime..Indulge while you can..

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  9. @Blue Lotus: Looks like I've passed on the purple bug to you majorly. :D

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