Stay strong, don't quit

This is a rather long note but do take the time to read. Especially if you are from teacher training college,


I was a fairly bright kid who was in primary school. But everything went downslope in secondary school. Was in the wrong place at the wrong age with the wrong people. Got involved in every other undesirable activity- playing truant, endless to say, I screwed up big time in studies and got low grade in every other subject except English and Tamil.

Teachers lost all hope on my friends and me... Hearing words like ' You will never make it in life'. I never understood why they often associated with dropping out and being unable to succeed in life. And then, I had this tutor who was an extremely intelligent chap who had always been a high flyer in studies. He nailed it hard in my mind that the only way to succeed in life was to go to Uni.

Unfortunately, my mind was only mediocre enough to make it to college. However fortunately, teacher trainee college was the BEST damn thing that happened in my life... For it was that place which made me the person I am today. No regrets whatsoever...
Though it wasn't exactly a bed of roses... The course I was doing is mathematics and PE, was not fully what I expected. My love was for television and radio. Here, those two were just components of the course and there were many other theory based subjects. And I was terrible with theory. I could never do exams cos my mind ALWAYS went blank at the exam hall no matter how hard I studied. Hence, I always ended up scraping through with normal result and was one of the bottom-level students in my cohort.

In fact, there was many a time I did feel like quitting but luckily, something, some power, some form of sensibility told me to grit my teeth, hang on and get done with it no matter what... And I did... I did my three year course for four years, achieving my long service status. Nothing to be proud of... But the point here- I grunted, I griped, i failed but somehow reached the goal that I initially set out to attain...


It's a rough world and success is never permanent... There will always be a hurdle around the corner, there will always be someone who degrades you. There will always be disparity and you may be robbed of what you know you deserve. Even when you are at a height of success, you may just plummet down to rock bottom. And it may happen in a matter of days. Well, it happened to me quite recently, just last year. All of a sudden, I found myself stripped of all opportunities. I was jobless for almost six months and had no shows in hand. I heard many things about myself, about how I had lost it... Not too long ago, someone even labeled me a 'loser' and 'incompetent'. Even I thought it was over for me. I was in half a mind to quit the industry and head to an office job.

But something, that same power told me to hang on. And that power was not elsewhere. It was within... It was called willpower. The only way not to drown in deep sea is to keep swimming, keep waddling. Even if the shore is nowhere in sight. Even if you feel your arms are going to drop off. At least, you stay alive. If you are lucky enough, you will touch shore soon. If you aren't, you still will someday... As Rocky Balboa says ' It ain't over till it's over'.

Well, loser I may have been, but quitter I was not going to be. There is a reason why I am doing what I am doing. I may have studied well, gone to university and have become a lawyer, doctor or some other professional earning a better paying comfortable living. But it didn't happen and there must be a reason for it. I know for one, I would have never had the satisfaction that I get doing what I so now. I may have been working in a clinic, a hospital or a court but not likely to have been talking to a group of enterprising young minds.

This is it. This is my purpose. This was what I was meant to do. May be that is why my direction was changed. But no matter how much your direction is changed, it is you who walk the journey. I decided to walk. And this is just a pit-stop of recollection. Not my destination. No one reaches their destination that fast. The journey goes on. With bumps, pits, puddles and breezes. No matter what comes your way, just don't quit walking.

Bottom line is... Keep going... No matter what they say... No matter what they do... Fight on... Against All Odds... I see that many of them mention today that they have an undying passion for dancing and performing... Please do. Dance all that you want. Sing and act all that you want.

But just channel the same energy into your studies... You can only dance till your legs are fast, you can only sing till you don't croak, you can only host till you can engage an audience but an education is forever... Till you go six feet under. No one can ever take that away from you.

Victory is temporary, success is on going life long commitment... I may have been victorious but not successful... Yet... And I want to be successful... Hence, my journey goes on... And so should yours... For one last time... Stay strong, don't quit, just believe, fight on and surge ahead...