Walking down memory lane…
Muntaha Sheikh reminisces about her school days and how it shaped her into the person she is now
SCHOOL IS A place where children go to get educated. But if you asked me about my perspective on school, a year back, I would say, “School is about getting a piece of paper that grants you access to a university, the grades rank your future. It’s an emotional experience that makes you ponder what you really want from life.”
It’s been a year since I proudly walked out of school pledging to abide by my own set of rules, and I haven’t visited since then. But, just the very thought of going back gives me goose bumps. A sudden rush of adrenaline flows and it brings back a thousand memories.
Back when I was graduating, I was glad that I was never going to see some familiar faces ever again, no more high school pressures and my creativity would not be limited to books alone.
But as the time arrived when I would actually be getting out of school, it struck me that I would be taking with me 14 years of memories – good, bad, the best and the worst. And for me, these were all the experiences that have made me the person I am today. Leaving school, I felt I was moving away from a place that had become so close to my heart, a place I called my second home.
One important aspect of schooling I recall is my friends. They were a necessity for survival. I’m so glad I met some people who I now call best friends. Some friendships I made in school became even stronger over time while some didn’t last! My friends and I always discussed how school didn’t teach us the rules before entering the real world, but it empowered us to make choices. It is often said that knowledge is not bound to a specific time or place, it depends on how and when you perceive it. I’ve learnt my lessons in many ways.
As I pen down these words , I close my eyes and a million memories cascade down as a slide show, I smile and tear up, the sparkle in my eyes and the pride I hold on my shoulders, I owe all this to my schooling. I may have forgotten what I learnt in school, but I am educated enough to absorb the truths of life in my own strong way.
I thought I’d never miss school and here I am doing the obvious. To the students still schooling, enjoy this phase of your life, it’s the best place to be in, sooner or later everyone agrees.