Those Were The Days

This blog post is the result of an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.

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We’ve all grown up now, taking on different roles and responsibilities. But the one thing we had in common was that we all started at the same level: school. Today’s blog post is all about how schools shape our minds and ultimately, our entire lives.

The first day of school was so terrifying for me. I made a hue and cry about leaving home and going to some place strange which people called “school.” The very idea of leaving behind my mother and going to school all alone scared me so much! As I entered my classroom, I was greeted by the friendly teacher (whom we called “miss”). I interacted with a few people of my age who were now, my “classmates” and in no time, I mingled with them.

Some of these classmates became my “best friends” (and I’m grateful to still have them in my life). That’s the first lesson we learnt from school: get out of your comfort zone and learn to adapt to a different environment.

As the years swiftly passed by, our lessons got longer and subjects increased. For me, school was much more than just a place to study my textbooks and listen to lectures. In a lot of ways, school has shaped my character and habits to have a long-lasting effect.

One of my class teachers, supposedly the strictest in the whole school inculcated certain great habits in me. These not just helped me during school times, but have become a part of my lifestyle today. And those were of discipline, punctuality and cleanliness. We were taught to maintain our notebooks neatly, write our “copies” with utmost diligence, put away any scrap piece of paper below our seats in the garbage can at the end of the day.

We used to groan and make a long face when we were assigned these tasks. But seldom did we understand how much they will add up later on in our lives. I do not know about the rest of my classmates, but these habits have a huge influence in my life at the moment. The repeated reminders of maintaining neatness and valuing time paid off.

I remember we had this unique “homework” back in fourth or fifth standard. Each of us had to write one good deed we did the previous day in a designated notebook and show it to our teachers the next day. This taught us to always be helpful and kind to others. A small homework, yet it made a significant impact on the students.

Now that I’m all grown up and working in a professional field, I cannot help but feel grateful for getting to be in school. I learnt not just mathematics, science and languages. I learnt lessons which shaped my habits today. There is always something to learn at every point of our lives. And it need not always be in the form of textbooks.

School days were golden days for me (and for all of us!). I made some pretty amazing friends, explored my interests, challenged my abilities and learnt innumerable lessons which lasted way beyond those few years.

I feel like an old woman when saying this. Those were the days!

It’s disheartening that the school-going kids at the moment are missing out on this wonderful time. All due to the tiny virus creating havoc across the world.

Wishing everything resolves soon so that the current generation can get back to their schools, live their golden years heartily and create lasting memories to cherish later on in life.

Until next time, stay blessed and stay safe.