Never Give Up!

NEVER EVER GIVE UP!

          My dear friends, I chose this title for my article because I have a real life experience which I would like to share with you in connection to this. Maybe it can inspire you.

          I came to this school for Std VII. Even though it was difficult for me to cope up with the new surroundings I managed to flow with others. For the first Annual Day that I witnessed in this school, I saw my friends and everybody else participating in one or the other events. They took part in dances, dramas, songs…. But I thought of joining in some other different program.

          I had a very small experience in compering when I was in 4^th STD.  I had compered for the Grand Finale in the annual day celebration of my previous school.  So, I planned to compere at DCMIPS.

          There was a screening for comperers and I was selected as one of the comperers for the annual day celebrations.

          I was happy that I was given the chance to compere. I had a partner and we both went and asked the teacher assigned for each event on how to go about compering in the program. The teachers gave us a long list of instructions. Among the instructions, Pradeep sirs’s instruction was terrible. He asked us to present the matter in different moods.

          Everything was set. I practiced many times from home. On the day of the event, I got a small slip of paper from a boy who was a member of our compering team. It was written, “Sabith, this is the only part that you have got to comper for today’s function”. I asked him, “Then what about the previous ones?” He told me that those were given to someone else and then he left. I opened the slip given to me and I saw two lines scribbled in that. The two lines were: “Wow, that was an amazing performance! Ladies and gentlemen, please give them a warm, round of applause once again”.

          I was really out of my senses for some time; I felt like crumpling the paper up and just leave the premises. But then, I thought that if I'd go they would make someone else to read that and I won’t be able to read at least those lines. I stood calm 'till my part was over. After saying my two precious lines, I left the place immediately!

          The whole day I was thinking about the ‘hours’ that I spent practicing that bloody stuff. I wanted to get another chance to compere and show my real talent. After that incident whenever any program came, I would go in search of opportunities to compere.

           Now when I reached 8th std... I again went and tried my luck in compering for any event during the annual day. The concerned teacher told me, “Ok! You can come but there is a screening session which you have to undergo.”

           I agreed to attend it. Since I didn’t hear any news regarding the screening till the previous day of the program, I approached the teacher and enquired.

          She told me,  “The screening was over and the students have already been taken.”

          Another mental shock for me! As a protest against this, I didn’t attend the 3-day annual day celebration.

          After this second incident, I swore upon God and prayed before him that, I wont leave this school until I fixed my indelible mark in compering.

          Now I am in 9^th.  God bless, that this time our principal father asked the  9^th STD students to host the Children’s Day celebrations. This was a great time for me to make use of the opportunity. I compered for the whole program from the start till the end. 

          After the program was over my class teacher came and told me, “English teachers said that you have an ‘Undiscovered Compering Talent’.”

          I boast on that to my friends because that’s the only talent I have got.  If I don’t boast on this one talent that I have, then on what will I boast?

          This year, I was surprised to hear from my English teacher that I was there for compering for the three-day annual day celebrations.

         Whenever I felt dissatisfied with what I did on stage, I would ask the teacher, “How was it?” I asked that each and every time I came down from stage. God bless, that most of the remarks were positive.

          Now finally I am in 10^th.  Most probably the last year of mine in this school. This year we had the All Kerala CMI CBSE School Kalotsav held at our school. I was selected for compering. This time it wasn’t as cool as before. It was a competition in which my partner and I had to work so hard to compete with intellectuals from different parts of Kerala. The most amazing thing was... we won first place! That for me was a great achievement because I didn't want my teacher's name to be spoilt and I didn't want to disappoint my parents as well.

My teacher who selected me for this event told me that there were so many controversies when she selected me for this. It was primarily because of her trust in me that I am selected. I didn't know what those contoversies were but I thought of working so hard so that her name would not be spoilt because of me.

          My intention in writing this experience is to tell you not to give up under any circumstances. I didn't. With continuous effort and hard work, you will achieve whatever you work hard for. Make maximum use of the opportunities given to you. ‘Extract the last drop of essence from the lime’, as the saying goes.

          With this, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the ones who have really helped me to come up to this height. First of all, our principal Fr. John Mannarathara, who gave me a chance to be involved in the Children’s Day celebrations, Ms. Sheela Varghese, Ms. Kairali and last but not the least Ms. Divya Krishna.

Thank you