I HAVEN'T SEEN MY MARK-SHEET FOR DECADES, NOW...

Pic.: Chetna Shetty

I had scored very bad marks in tenth-standard and twelfth-standard board-exams. It was only F.Y.B’Com onwards – when Prof. Raman came to teach us, and I intensely desired to become a teacher like him – that my exams performance began to improve. Still, I would say, it was way below the accepted standards of the day. I was teaching plenty of students during my final-year B.Com. Many of my students scored much higher than I did!

But, then, I knew that I would do in life nothing else but teaching... whether with good marks or bad. Luckily, I do not remember anyone asking me, all through my three-decades-plus teaching career, “How much did you get?” Everyone has been interested in how good I am now: how well I taught, how good I am in my integrity, commitment and passion... how good I am as a motivator... as a friend, philosopher and guide to my students...

Yes, even though most of the parents want my students to score high marks in exams, neither they nor students ever ask me: “What about you? How much did you score?” If at all - and whenever - some do, I look into their eye-balls and tell, “Very less”...

And, trust me, that doesn't work against me at all. Because, they, too, know, deep down in their hearts, that, in the end what will really count is what you will do in life, and how well you will do it!

So, with due respect to all the top-scorers in exams - your top-score is only going to serve you as the ‘gate-pass’ for this magnificent opera called Life. You walk into the hall carrying the best pass in your hand and occupy the privileged front-seat out there... and someone walks in with a low-grade pass only to occupy the seat behind... But, when the show starts, what will really matter is not the kind of pass you have carried in your hand but the kind of heart you have... The heart that really knows to appreciate, value and enjoy the show... yes, fully!

Last noon, the SSC results were out. A doctor-friend of mine and his son walked into my office with a sweet-box. The young-man had scored 85%. He had two very close friends. One of them had scored 95% and the other 76%. I knew all three of them; because, all three of them had done our PD course a couple of years ago. Let me tell you this: I had loved, wished and blessed all three of them when they collected their certificates from us...

Now, what will be my stand?

What will be my faith in them as far as their future is concerned?

The boy with 95% will surely get the admission into whatever his eyes are on. The boy with 85%, who wants to pursue Science, may have to show more patience. The one with 76% wants to do Commerce, and he, too, may go into a Commerce college with relatively less struggle...

And, then?

Yes, and then... What will really count is how passionately they will participate in the show called Life...

At home, their nicely-filed mark-sheets will rest in peace somewhere in the cupboards!

I haven’t seen mine for decades, now...

But, I see, feel and celebrate this show called Life, yes, every moment of the day...

May the show go on...

“Yashashvi bava”... “Keertimaan bava”... “Ayushmaan bava”!

GERALD D’CUNHA