THE HILL WE CLIMB
“When
the day comes, we ask ourselves
where
can we find light in the never-ending shade…
The
loss we carry, a sea must wade,
We
have braved the belly of the beast,
We
have learned that quiet isn’t always peace,
And
the norms and the notions of what just is
isn’t
always justice
And
yet, the dawn is hours before we knew it…
Somehow
we do it.”
From
the poem – ‘The Hill We Climb’ recited by Youth Poet-Laureate
Amanda
Gorman at Joe Biden’s inaugural ceremony.
I
wanted to watch the live inaugural-ceremony of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for
several reasons. One of the reasons was this: I wanted someone to ignite in my
bosoms – Hope!
It’s immaterial whether
I live in distant America or here in India, Hope is mankind’s deepest need for survival.
I firmly believe, that there is light at the end of any dark tunnel we now find
ourselves in. So, when someone like Joe Biden, who now heads the most powerful –
but severely bruised – democracies in the world, stands there and takes oath in
the name of Unity and Hope, I find myself, alongside millions around the world,
‘healed’ and ‘energized’ to live…
So, I sat
through the entire inaugural ceremony and came out refreshed…
Amanda
Gorman, the youngest poet-laureate ever to recite an inaugural poem, was a
pleasant surprise to me. The recital of her
poem – ‘The Hill We Climb’ – further ignited Hope in my bosoms…
What a
powerhouse – and a Beacon of Hope - this young, Black-girl is!
Well, the world found
Amanda on 20th Jan., 2021 on
that august moment of her poetry recital. I, too, thank my stars for finding
her that day. Consequently, I found many more things about this amazing young-girl.
Listen to her story:
As she admits, Amanda
began to write in order to overcome her speech impediments. I had the similar
issue at hand… I hailed from a vernacular medium (Kannada) and a household
where English was foreign… I suffered from a killing inferiority complex… The
thought of facing a crowd and opening my mouth completely paralyzed me… My
self-confidence was so low, that it affected my academic performance, prevented
me from taking part in any outdoor or indoor activities… The constant feeling
of unworthiness, always, projected before me a hopeless future…
Thus, when I sat
in a crowded classroom and watched my college Professor (my idol – Prof. B.S.
Raman) and dreamed of becoming like him – a fine teacher and writer – the two
impediments which stood before me like Godzilla’s were my poor English and stage
fear. Today, when I look back, I can tell you this: My desire to become a
teacher and a writer was far stronger than the two fears that held me captive. To
overcome my speech impediment and low self-confidence, I started writing a line
or two in my private journal… I soaked myself in Enfilsh dictionaries and
motivational books… I kept seeking help from my closest friends and relatives;
and, above all, I kept facing my fears, over and over again… I allowed the
positive feedback from my well-wishers to build my self-confidence… and this: I
discarded from my vocabulary the word – ‘Perfection’!
Let me tell you
this, when I am soon going to be 63: The reason why I keep writing, almost every
day, is to deal with my innate imperfections. The struggle to improve - feel worthwhile
and good about myself - is far from over. As Amanda says referring to
Democracy, “It can be periodically delayed, but it cannot be permanently
defeated”, I say this referring to our self-growth:
It can be
periodically delayed, but it cannot be permanently defeated…
That’s the Hill we
all have to climb, you see…
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic.: 1. Getty Images 2. pixabay
Videos: 1. ABC News 2. CNN
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