Monday, 31 March 2014
Monday, 24 March 2014
The Happiest Moment
Even though I always whined and complained about boarding school, I kind of miss it terribly now. The teachers, wardens and friends had
become a part of my three exclusive years after all!
Soon after I came back home to be
a permanent resident, I found an advertisement in the newspaper regarding The
United Wold College admission. I don’t know why, but I smiled for a second and
showed it to my mother and she said that it would be a dream come true if I got
in. After that I really wanted to give it my best shot, to start my life in the
finest way and what could be better than studying in The UWC?
It was November 25th,
2013, the day I downloaded the application form enthusiastically wanting to
complete it the very same day. But when I looked at it I was stunned by the
rather unconventional set of questions. I braced myself for the challenge to answer
them to the best of my abilities. It made me introspect and find out so much
about myself, my opinions, and my perspective. I felt as though I was discovering
myself. Filling up an application form could be such a stimulating experience!
These were some of the questions
in the application form:
What distinguishes you from other students in your class?
Identify a specific problem within your community. After
explaining why it is a problem, justify what you, as a member of the community,
could do in the next six months to address it.
Your art teacher tells the class that each student is to
paint a picture of their best friend in the class. One student points out to
the teacher that some kids will have lots of kids painting them, and other kids
won’t be chosen at all. The teacher insists that this is what the students
should do. What would you do?
Which meaningful conversation can you recall and with whom?
This should be with one other than family.
I enjoyed every bit of the time I spent typing the answers to
these engaging questions. I dedicated a lot of my time reading to build up my
vocabulary and express myself in the most effective manner. I got stuck a lot,
but every time I overcame that I had new knowledge about things. When I was
stuck about the question asking us to state a specific problem in our community
and what can I do in the next six months to address it, I felt so lost.
I was not a selfish person but I mostly thought about MY
family, MY happiness, MY friends. But as I started to volunteer for community
service I understood the joy of giving and that’s when I decided that the
problem I will choose will be the reluctance of people to donate their organs
after death. Again I was caught in a dilemma on how should I address it? I am
just a 15 year old. My parents convinced me that if a cause really touched me,
I should make a beginning however small it might be. They suggested to me that
I could use my blog as a medium to raise awareness about organ donation, and so
I did.
I feel that every step I took to fill my form has helped me
to connect with myself and my community and made me a better person.
24th January, 2014, one of the scariest day of my
life- my board results. I will not announce it here because my result was
nothing to boast about. Being an average
student in academics I received average grades. I was highly disappointed by
the grade I received in one particular subject because I considered it to be
one of my favourite and scoring subjects. Life is full of surprises, good and
bad of course.
Since my results were out, and parents declaration, school
declaration, 9th grade mark sheet were in place, I gave the final
touch ups to my application form and on 13th February (a day before
the dead line) I mailed it. I MAILED IT!
For days I was anticipated, just like anyone in want of
something desperately would be. I was prepared for the worst and expecting the
best. Soon, when waiting started to kill me, I called up the UWC office to
inquire about the results. They told me it would come by the end of the
following week if I was selected and if not the week after that. My forehead
was sweating; I informed my parents and started praying. Remembering God is such
a comfort when in times like these, it makes the entire burden go away instantly.
Days went on in waiting.
These days I have been much of a fitness freak. I go to the
gym regularly, do intense cardiovascular exercises, swimming alternate days and
eat healthy. Another ordinary day which turned in to the a miraculous one -11th
march, Tuesday day it was, I hopped out of the gym to fill my water bottle when
I saw a missed call from mom. I called back and she said the mail came.
WHATTTTTTTT?!
“Mumma, if you’re joking I swear I will never talk to you”
“I will never joke in matters like these”
“I am so happy! I can’t believe it”
“Come home fast, we will have a look at the mail and start
the preparation”
“Yes, coming”
I was jumping, literally. I have never felt such kind of
excitement before. I was proud that my hard work paid off, I was extremely
glad that my parents were happy me being the reason and I was so very grateful
to the members of United World College for selecting for the person I am
besides my academic weakness. They judged me on my present not past.
Soon I came home and the preparation started. I
read Anne Frank all over again because she is someone I would definitely want
to talk about, I started reading the newspaper carefully, I started watching
other meaningful movies that were pending, I spent less time in unnecessary
activities and I actually felt so bright. Just the thought of UWC rejuvenated me
with high spirits; I wonder what enhancement will it bring in me if I were to get
selected?
OH GOD HELP
ME PERFORM MY BEST!
Live Even After Dying- Organ Donation
Do you know what my last wish
would be? My last wish before dying would be to live even after death. Not by
having my face on the Indian Rupee, not by having biographies written about me,
not by having a holiday in my honour, BUT by donating my organs which can save
lives of up to 7 people and enhance up to 50 lives. A PART OF ME WILL LIVE EVEN
AFTER I DIE.
Religious biases and disconnect
from society have prevented people from pledging their organs after death. But
I feel that above all lack of awareness is responsible for 4000-5000 people
waiting for heart transplant, 80,000-1, 00,000 people waiting for sight and
thousands others waiting for other organs.
“God helps those who help others” is one
phrase I had heard several times but is it really true in practice? God
wouldn’t want us to turn a blind eye to those in need, God wouldn’t want us to
not help ,then why does a barrier of religious belief come up when contributing
to a good cause?
IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE.
Statistics don’t
interest me and words can’t do justice to a sensitive topic like this. It will
be the tears of joy in the eyes of the patients who would receive the bliss and
the satisfaction on the faces of the donor family that would make one’s life as
well as death meaningful.
What really triggered
me to write this was an article I read post watching ‘Ship of Theseus’.
Sunday Times of
India, Mumbai. March 23, 2014
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Like any other
article regarding organ donation, this one too stated that the family of a
brain dead person (a death caused due to accidents wherein only the brain dies
while the other organs are still working) should voluntarily donate the organs.
It also mentions that it is the best parting gift one could give: A better
life!
Talking about Ship
of Theseus, it is a fantastic movie not an entertaining one that children would
like to watch to pass time but definitely the one children should see by making
time. It illustrates life of three people undergoing a transplant: a blind girl,
a monk with liver cirrhosis and a man with kidney failure. It shows how organ
transplant made such a great impact on their lives. For a moment after the
third story began I thought, “oh so a transplant can really change life is the
purpose” until I discovered that the organs that were donated were from the body
of the same man. One dead man made such major alteration in lives of people he
didn’t even know!
What more could a
blind want than sight?
Please spread this
generous message to your near and dear ones and be in the blessings of many.
For more information
regarding the same take a look the sites below:
Also, http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/consumer-health/in-depth/organ-donation/art-20047529 will tell you about the myths and facts about organ donation.
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