Lost, only to be found.

As a 10 year old, the worst thing that could happen to your “budding” social life is changing schools. Sadly the same happened to me and I was almost sure that my social life was going to end before it even started. First day of school was a very interesting experience where I got to meet all my classmates and leave school early since that was the tradition in my school. The first few days were terrible to say the least. My mother mistook my nonchalance as acceptance while it was actually quiet sadness. I tried to keep a low profile at school and behave like the obedient student I clearly was not until that year. I navigated the labyrinth of social life all 4th graders had to navigate. I had made a couple good friends by then and they were all quite interesting. Each day we would have a topic up for discussion including politics, cricket, movies and the advanced syllabus (how it felt at that time) imposed upon us by the school. Fourth grade was anything but uneventful and as summer vacation started, I couldn’t wait to go back to school. My new school embraced me with such warmth and belonging that it swiftly became my cherished home away from home.

My school witnessed me taking upon all kinds of roles : the role of a not so great class monitor, a wannabe orator, an amateur writer, a lazy but obedient student, and all the way to a terribly shy school leader who questioned his choices every morning when he had to demonstrate drills during the school assembly. While I learned a lot about the world and science and technology through classes, I also learned quite a lot about myself over those 6 years. In a way the school found me in a confusing maze and helped me find my way.

I spent my last 2 years at Gayathri quite detached from everything and everyone which is something I will always regret. I had grown up with these amazing people but I couldn’t really understand them or be a great friend to any of them during that time. In a way, I missed them becoming their true selves. When it struck me, I tried my best to reconnect with all of them. Let me tell you, the amateur parody song writers and the class clowns are still amazing people working towards amazing goals. When I walked through the very halls I spent a significant amount of my life in, I was overcome with emotion. This is where I grew up and these are the people I grew up with, I thought to myself.