The memoirs of an underdog....

Hi folks,

First of all I wish all the readers many many bright wishes of DIPAVALI. May this Dipavali bring lots of prosperity and wealth to all.

Today has been yet one of those days, when you want to cry but tears won't come out. During the course of the 121 days I have spent in WIMWI so far, lots of such days like today have come and gone by. Days when nothing goes right for you, however hard you may try. The journey from a Victor to an Underdog has been nothing short of a bumpy ride with an initial free fall. Once a Victor I was before stepping into this campus, and the transformation to an Underdog has been painful yet insightful. An experience you would never enjoy, however happy go lucky type you are.

This is my first Dipavali outside home and I don't know why I am missing home much more dearly than ever before. Probably because its very difficult to find a shoulder to cry on in WIMWI. Not that you won't get anybody who can comfort you, but your ego comes in the way when you want to shed tears. Unfortunately I have that. I have tried hard to shed tears, but somehow you are supposed to be strong and mature to handle such difficult situations. So am i trying hard to stay calm and composed.

That's why people often say that you have to be careful when you are at the peak of success. The feeling when you are up there is exhilarating, but the moment you lose control and gravity will control you. I have had a similar experience here. The first fall smashed my confidence. But that experience made me humbler than ever before. And from there on I fell many times, but I guess I have got used to this process. I am no longer in the limelight as I was before coming here. The intoxicating potion of limelight and success is very dangerous. But the one thing I don't like is that when you become an underdog, people don't take you or your views seriously as has happened with me. Making friends here in WIMWI is easy, especially when you are a super performer. Making friends is also easy for someone like me. But making genuine friends for someone like me becomes all that much more difficult because I am competing with time and that's what is now not with me to socialise with friends.

I guess I have never been so serious in my posts ever before. But I thought of sharing my views here with a hope that there are people like me inside WIMWI, with a hope that I am not alone. Otherwise the proposition that everyone is excelling here just seems frightening to me now!! I am trying to excel here, and the learning process is constantly happening. But the GRADES act as brakes in this academic journey. I don't know who invented these GRADES, but would certainly like to meet him/ her and say "A GRADE is neither the true measure of learning nor success".

But one thing is for sure. I can now understand how it feels to be an UNDERDOG. It's great because I have nothing to LOSE now and everything to GAIN!! :)

regards,

taureansandy