I want to be .....

Just some weeks before the 10th exams, far away in one Indian small town, a teacher was asking her students about what they aspire to be in the future…. The students started mentioning the names of the various professions that they had heard about either through parents or teachers or some other source… Now it was the turn of one young chap, whose cousin happened to be a Chartered Accountant… Though he didn’t know anything about the profession (understandable since nothing related to that field is taught in school) .. But he had various discussions with the CA-cousin and had made up his mind that this was indeed a good profession to be pursued !!!.... And more importantly, today, he thought he had an opportunity to be different from the numerous ‘would-be’ engineers and doctors that were in the classroom…. So, he eagerly awaited his turn and as soon as it came, he got up and expressed his ambition… But he was in for a rude shock as the teacher started laughing and told, “You should be out of your mind… CA is done by those who don’t study and who don’t have any ambition”…. The classroom starts laughing and the kid hangs his head in shame….

The single remark triggers a whole sequence of events, the ramification of which may yet not be completely assessable :
(1) The boy goes home ashamed about the rebuke and filled with guilt that he chose a profession for the ‘lesser-mortals’… He now changes his plans to be either an Engineer or a Doctor…

(2) His father had planned for the Finances involved keeping Commerce line in view, which is undoubtly more cheaper alternative to Science..

…. but now the priorities have changed….

(3) His 10th grades are not among the best suited for a good Science college.. so his dad has to put in extra efforts to set the finances for doling out donations for the ‘management quota’ in colleges….

(4) While entry into the college could be ‘bought’, the study part needs the capability of people

This incident occurred some two years ago and now, with his 12th exams over, the guy is awaiting his exam results and preparing for Engineering Entrance …. I hope he fares well and becomes a great Engineer….

This may not have featured in my blog had I not overheard a conversation where he mentioned about that ‘eventful’ day when his course of life changed!!! And I wondered, how a small seemingly casual remark can create such an ever-lasting impression… Maybe I am thinking too much into this, but the very fact that he remembers that teacher’s remark means that somewhere deep down within him, he feels his life should/ could have been different !!

I am not feeling bad just because I happen to be from the CA fraternity.. I have tremendous respect for engineers and doctors who have been rendering valuable services in India and abroad...

But this story had to be told as it reiterates the common mentality seen across parents, teachers and elders who feel that there are these three-four professions where the kids should go to .. I won't say that the kid is at fault for the simple reason that he just took the road as directed by his seniors...