Life's Not A Popularity Contest!

You Will Never Be More Famous, Than When You Are Dead. - Durand Guzman

As funny as it may sound, I could not agree more to this. All the universally popular people(I doubt if there is anybody on that list, so one may want to read it as almost universally popular), whom, most of the world could sing eulogic songs of praise for, would not be alive. 

Long story short, nobody can make all the people happy at all the time. One is ought to make choices and say things that one or many won't like but that should not stop you being your own self. Don't live a life to please everyone else, because that's too unrealistic a goal in itself.

I was in 2nd/3rd grade(don't exactly remember but a long long time ago) when I learnt this. I think that was the last class for the day in school. Almost all the teachers including school's principal, vice-principal and headmaster , knew me, for various reasons, for being one who would participate in every damn thing, to somebody whose parents would not miss attending any school meet to one who topped 15/20 exams in a row etc.(enough bragging)! 

The main point is: we had a new teacher appointed to take the general knowledge class. This was his first day and he called up my name as soon as he entered the class so that I can help him understand what portion of the textbook was already covered. Well yeah, we did have a subject and a textbook as well called 'General Knowledge'. I, of course did not like his idea much, for various reasons. Every one else was having fun, doing things that they would like to do, shouting out aloud, playing games etc. while all I was doing at that time was looking at others having fun and making him mark the portion of our syllabus that was already covered. Sounds boring right, now imagine yourself doing it! :-)

This teacher asked everyone to keep quiet intermittently. But who would care about what a teacher said in those days. Something strange happened after 5/10 minutes when he asked everyone to get out of the class. I thought it was yet another incident when everyone would be punished. I started making my way out as well, when he said "You, yes you..you can go and grab your seat'. I was quite happy and surprised at the same time. An inner voice did ask me to go and join rest of the team(class) but another voice made me wait for a couple of more minutes. And I must say, I am glad I heard the other voice. It was a dilemma and a really tough choice though.

The teacher got really violent and started beating every single student with every thing that would serve the purpose, from duster, scale, to furniture etc. to do the job. I felt bad for everybody but there was no reason/benefit I could see in joining hands with them and get beaten. He was thrown out of the school later for being a psycho.

All my classmates stopped talking to me because I was not beaten(no logic but that's how people think) and this continued for a few days. Even some of my best friends joined the rally for they were afraid that they will be boycotted(haha, yeah, we did read the history chapter about boycott movement a day or two ago) too. I had my lunch alone for over a week. Some of those would come to me and ask to apologize to everyone else. I wondered "Apologize for what?". No one could ever give me a reason, not even my ownself. This continued for a week or two. Slowly and gradually, people tend to forget things, especially when they need your notebooks and assignments and stuff like that.

As someone told me once, sometimes you need to be selfish and think about your ownself because believe me no-one else will ever do that for you. I, in no way, would ever justify, not standing up and speaking against wrong. But, sometimes, there is nothing much you can do about things. Make your choices and cast in your own vote for it, not always would people, support you in your endeavors.

On most occasions, you would not get enough time to think about your choices but try make the best possible one

Life is not a rehearsal. Each day is new show. No repeat, not rewind, not retake. So give your best shot in all your acts. As the show goes on and on.