The reason of it all...

This blog has been idle for over two months now, for the lack of an appropriate beginning. Until finally i thought of something, which is instrumental for me being the person i AM ... It is something I have always wanted to write about, to chronicle as THE most important event of my life.

It was largely responsible for the 3 things that i value most

The ability to speak my mind...
My confidence..
&
My love for poetry

Std V it was, the Youth Festival in school.. Already riding on the high of securing a rank in Std IV scholarship exam, i was chosen to represent RED house in the elocution competition..

Ms.Samanaz, the RED house teacher, and the BEST English Teacher there ever was, gave me the story i was to narrate.. It was actually a poem from the 10th Std book, TANSEN. She gave me the Navneet DIgest of Std X and asked me to mug up the whole Story form that the give as a part of the explanation..

Unfortunately for me, the folks at Navneet who need a Crash Course in Precis writing, had managed to fill up quite a few pages, to explain the poem.However after 3 days of re-reading the story for the 'enth' time, i managed to remember it. That ,however, was the only simple task in the whole process...

What followed was a rigorous practice session which involved - eye contact with the audience and the judges, a certain conviction in your voice, voice modulation, and most importantly .. to be audible to the entire auditorium without a mike..

By the time the day of the competition dawned, my entire family of 10 members knew the story by-heart.I've never practiced for any any public speaking event after this one.. thanks to being gullible, earnest, hard-working student in Std V. (i wonder the good traits never stick with you) After that event the aforementioned qualities we only a distant dream :)

THE GRAND FINALE
Picture this- My entire school from Class 1 to 10 as well as all the staff and some other nuns from the Convent were assembled in the audi.. There were 12 participants in my category (Std V to VII.. one from each Std for each house)

The teacher at the mike was calling out each participant.. to come and speak..
A few fumbled, some forgot, some did well,, there was this eerie silence(when each participant spoke).. followed by applause
SILENCE-APPLAUSE-SILENCE-APPLAUSE-SILENCE-APPLAUSE- "Participant no 7"

My feet were pulling me along...i went on stage..n all of a sudden i felt at home.. my eyes wandered JUDGE 1 -- JUDGE 2 -- JUDGE 3 n then Sister.Principal.. i started speaking n words just kept pouring out.. for 10 mins there was a SINGLE voice in the audi.. n finaly it went like this "What we learn is that anything done for the LOVE of it turns out to be the Best" which was taken form the last line of the poem "I sing to Thee, He sings to GOD"

Was i too soft, too loud ?? was my intonation right? Did i complete on time? MY mind was gonna explode!!

And then there was an ear-deafening applause... Ms.Samanaz, JUDGE 1 and Prinicipal were on their feet...It was the MOST humbling as well as most exhilarating experience of my LIFE..

From that moment i have always believed, i could achieve anything i wanted to.. A certain solid confidence which has sustained me till today..
And for that - To TANSEN - To Inayat Khan (the poet) - To Ms.Samanaz I shall always be indebted..

PS: The results were announced the next day, and I won 1st. I've won many competitions after that, but i still believe that was my best speech, jus like the poem ended, i did it with a certain honesty and purity of mind, which I could never repeat...