My Life At SKID

Sumant wants to make a documentary on SKID, the school I teach at, during my lunch break. And he needed a write up that he could use. In under an hour. This is what I could come up with. Pretty lame. But if it can make even one of you, curious enough to visit and spread the awareness, I would consider the effort, to be worth it. Apologies, if this is spam for you. Not intended.



They say, Music is the Universal Language. But how do you say this, to someone who has never heard a single note, in his entire life?

They say, Education is a Fundamental Right of a child. But how do you teach someone who has to fight each and every minute of his life, to just be accepted in society?

They say, Life is all about those little triumphs that make it worth living. Now THAT is something that you CAN tell these kids. Kids who have been dealt an unfair hand, but play on gamely. Without flinching, without complaining.

When I walked into the SKID campus, the first thing that hit me, was the SILENCE. At a subconscious level, we have probably come to associate kids with alot of white noise. Kids at the mall, screaming. Kids at the park, talking. Kids at the circus, laughing. Kids at school, shouting. And so, a lack of white noise, is a hard jolt, that made me look a little closer, dig a little deeper. I had no intention of hanging around for more than a couple of weeks when I first stepped in. But something deep down within, changed. Changed radically, after those few minutes.

And I entered a totally different world. A world away from dog tags (read : employee tags) running around. Away from the world of cribbing and bitching about the employer. Away from the usual mundane activities around which my life is centered. But, into a world of grit, determination, courage and an ability to appreciate the little pleasures of life. Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to my world. The world of SKID.

To give you a glimpse of some of the people with whom I share this wonderful world.

Arun : My puttu Baby. Abandoned by his parents as a "Curse From The Gods". Started doing his homework regularly, after I threatened to teach another kid. Likes to play cricket, but loves to answer my questions in 'Sign'. THE reason for my continued presence at SKID.

Sheeba : The shy, quiet girl, who will surprise you with her display of emotions, once she warms up to you. Her loving hug, when she comes running into my arms, makes my day!

Charan : RD, in a parallel universe. He sticks closer to me, than my own shadow. Always at a respectable distance, but always there. Makes me feel like a good human being that I am not, with his hero worship.

Shalini : Pocket Sized Dynamite. That toothy grin, framed on a face with twinkling eyes, and bratty gaps where the baby teeth have fallen off, is the right medicine for you, on a blue day. Her diminutive stature does not certainly dampen her spirit, on the playground.

Sakshi : By far the smartest of the lot. Made me feel stupid, when I first tried baby talking her, and then proved me stupider, when she reprimanded me for asking questions "suitable for babies", in a class quiz! Tries hard to get her siblings to not be indifferent towards her.

Shubham : Confidence personified. The Little Guy, with Loadza Attitude, and intelligence to boot. Loves to play, read, and show off his smartness. Certainly, my pick as the next gen Thought Leader.

Maybe you dozed off, long before you reached here. Maybe, you were cursing me, by the time you read the 5th line. Maybe, you deleted this, the moment you saw the name of the sender. But, if you are curious to find out more about this little world of mine, come visit us. It will not help you win brownie points from your boss. It will definitely not help increase your "Cool" factor with the opposite sex. But it might, it just might give you some pure, unadulterated joy. A chance to bring back that kid to life, who is hiding so deep down inside of you, that you have probably even forgotten about him.