During the first three years of my schooling my performance was very ordinary. My dad being a high school teacher had a habit of praising about brilliant students he was teaching in front of me and left me pondering what makes them so brilliant. I had a childish wish to occupy that space. I wanted him to talk about me and my performance. I had a very interesting attitude. The more people would discourage me, the harder I used to try.
It was a sunny day . My dad was struggling to balance the overburdened scooter on the dark tarry city roads amid slow speed traffic. It wasn't a comfortable ride but it was the only way our family could travel together. What else could you expect from a middle class family saving what ever they could for their kid's education. I broke my silence. I asked him how those students he always talks about outperformed everyone else. He said they are able to because they have........ . "willpower" ? "confidence"?? I just don't remember what he said but that was a turning point in my life.
Tests after tests I was moving up the ladder until there was nothing left to conquer. I used to look back and kept wondering why and how I made it. I skimmed through dictionary many many times but I could never conclude what that word was. Its recorded there somewhere deep in my subconscious mind.
So did dad praise me like the students he used to teach.
Nope
He just raised the bar even further.
I guess your dad & my dad are long lost brothers! They do acknowledge (albeit silently) that their kids are striving hard to reach where they intend to be...they just don't manifest it.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes,I always believe that there something..something always left to "conquer" :)
(:)) Yes there is always something left to conquer and probably that is why we lead our lives.
ReplyDeleteIf there ain't any life would be boring :)
Rank 1 in the entire school was the best they could award me with :)
ReplyDelete