I have always said Keep Smiling, you never know who’s falling in Love with it!!
And for sure I mean it Literally, But I also mean it in another way.
“It also means, keep doing what you think is Good not because some one is seeing it, but because that’s the right thing to do”
It’s an Instance of August 1994. I was in Class 11th in St. Michael’s School, Delhi and was the Vice Discipline Captain.
The duty of all captains apart from many other things was to Inspect Uniforms and maintain order while School Assembly is ON.
Thanks to my Schooling in a Hostel, Bishop Cotton School, Simla my uniform was always Neat and Complete.
Here in Delhi we just punish the offending Student by writing a note in his Diary or asking him to stand out of the line while assembly is on. But in Simla, it would have meant the guilty student being abused by the captain, walking bare foot all day or even a getting your back smashed by a Hockey Stick.
It was one of those days in August when it rained heavily through the day. Even after the school was over.
Our School bus (Outsourced) didn’t turn up and since my home was only 4 kilometers away I thought to walk rather than wait for bus.
What I didn’t think was that my Shoes shall get wet too.
Yes, My Shoes were wet and it was more evident when I got ready for school next day and realised my Black oxford shoes were unfit to be worn.
I took out my Sports Shoes, Got an Application from my mother citing the same. And went off to the school.
It was assembly time and I was in the line with other students. That is when I was hauled by my supervisor and she blasted at me. What kind of Captain are you as you are not doing your duty and standing in the line with other students.
That is when I pulled out the letter from the monogrammed pocket of my Crisp white shirt and handed over to Ma’am. And Said “Ma’am, I’m not wearing proper School Shoes as my School Shoes got wet yesterday in Rain. Here is the Explanation letter from my Mom” On this she asked, “But why are you standing in Line, is what I am asking” to which I replied, “Ma’am, Since I am myself in not proper Uniform, How can I punish some one else for the same”
At this she smiled and went away.
I forgot this instance completely. But then after one year, while coming home in my Bus No. 2, A student 3 years junior approached me and said “Guru Bhaiya, Today Ma’am mentioned you in class” And I was horrified because only there was hardly any positive reason for which I would be mentioned.
I asked him, Why, When, How, What.
And he Said, it was in Moral Science class.
Now that left me more confused. Why So??
He said, “Some time back you were not in Proper uniform and stood in the line and even got a letter from home. Whereas at the same time many of your School Cabinet Colleagues never wore proper uniform on regular basis but never failed to show their authority on other offenders.
But you knew what should be right and did so and this was noticed by Ma’am”
And all this was told in a Moral Science Class “Be Sincere to yourself”
Couldn’t control my tears and I cried in Bus. For the first time, some one praised me and that too not to me, but to 30 other children.
“Keep Smiling, You never know who would fall in Love with your Smile” “Be Sincere to yourself”
