Friday, February 21, 2014

The Memory Test

This is a story of my life that I got reminded of recently, I don’t know why. I believe that I am still the way I was when this incident happened. Before this story gets lost in my brain again, I am writing it down.

I was in either 6th or 7th standard. We used to have hobli, taluk and district level competitions for singing, group dance, general knowledge, quiz, don’t know what not and for memory. You would have already guessed what a memory test is. Some 50 odd items are kept in a classroom and all the participants are asked to have a look at these items for about 5 or 10 minutes and write them down in the next 10 or 15 minutes. Yeah! That’s the game I am talking about.

I had won the hobli level competition and had progressed to the next level that is taluk level. These competitions were normally held at different schools every year. I think that year it was held at Kottigehara or jawali or some other place. Me, other winners from my school and our teacher went to the competition.

Other competitions were in progress and we were sitting/standing in the school premises waiting for our completions to start. As I had nothing to prepare for, some causal talks were also going on. I don’t remember exactly how and why it happened, I think we went in search of a place to sit, and happened to notice an open window of a classroom which had the items set for the memory test.

If you participate/win in a district level competition, there is some certification and recognition. To get there, one has to win the taluk level competition. This is also an honor to the school.

My teacher told me to have a detailed look at the items, write them down and memorize them, so that I win the competition. Along with a friend of mine, I went near the window to have a clear view of all the items listed there.

I looked at those items for a couple of minutes and I came back. I told my teacher that I do not want to participate in the competition. She asked my friend who had accompanied me to participate. He agreed. He went and listed all the items down and participated and won the competition there. The school had incurred my travel expenses which went for a waste because I did not participate.

I could not compete because I knew from inside that it was not right. I don’t remember what reasons I gave to my teacher but I definitely did not tell her my inner feeling. I was in 6th or 7th standard then. Am sure most of us agree winning a competition is always an achievement. I did not participate.

I think am still the same.

Sowmyashree Gonibeedu

2 comments:

Badarinath Palavalli said...

ತಮ್ಮ ಮಾತನ್ನು ನಾನು ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗಿ ಒಪ್ಪುತ್ತೇನೆ ಮೇಡಂ,

ಯಾವುದೇ ಸ್ಪರ್ದೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಲು ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಮನಸ್ಸು ಒಪ್ಪಬೇಕು. ಗೆಲುವು ಆಮೇಲಿನ ಮಾತು. ಅಲ್ಲಿಯ ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ನಮಗೆ ನೆಚ್ಚಿಗೆ ಆದಾಗಲೇ ನಾವೂ ಸ್ಪರ್ದೆಗೆ ಇಳಿಯಬೇಕು.

Rajendra said...

nice travelogue!