When I was in school, we had the school assembly every Monday and Friday. The entire school assembled on the ground in neat rows, wearing full uniform (uniform + white socks + black shoes). The prayer would be sung by the group that sang the prayer everyday. Each week, a student from a different class gave the thought-for-the-day, someone from the same class read the newspaper headlines. The HM/teachers would make some important announcements and then everyone dispersed to their respective classes. It was one such dreadful assembly that had me red with embarrassment in front of the whole school.
That week it was our class which had to give the thought and read the news headlines. Someone had already prepared the thought, and the person who was supposed to read the newspaper was absent. It was chaos in the class as another girl and I went around the class asking everyone if they would read the headlines. We got various excuses -
“I did last time”
“I am doing next time”
“I am not doing”
All done and declined, the only one who was left now was me! :-O I was OK giving thoughts and had done so already before but reading the newspaper was a big NO. I hated newspapers and never read them. I had no idea which section appeared where in the dozen sheets of paper. “Hey please, I can’t do this, please…”, I almost pleaded. “Come on, you can do it. I’ll mark all the pages and headlines for you. All you have to do is read..” Reluctantly I agreed. Just as she found the pen to mark the news, horror of horrors, the bell rang and it was time to go the assembly. “Just read the big letters and you will be fine”, she shouted just before we went our separate ways – she to stand in the line on the ground, me on the corridor/dias. Before I knew it, it was time for me to go forward and read the news. I read the first page all right, the second and third pages too. From the fourth page onwards there was no distinction in font sizes – all headings were in the same sized font. From there on, I read a couple of them here and there. Disaster had begun. I turned the page, scanned left, read, scanned right, read, turned the page,scan…. I started to hear giggles from the student. Then someone hissed from behind -”Enough Namratha, read the sports page and come back”. Did that.
Next few days I had my head down. I promised myself I would read the newspaper everyday. I did that for a week- it was too depressing to read it. I do not know if anyone else still remembers the episode but being one of the most embarrassing incidents in my life, it’s hard for me to forget it. Now though, it does look and sound funny but you can’t imagine the kind of curses I threw at everyone who could have but did not read the newspaper that day :D
I still do not read newspapers. If I do, I end up with a bad mood, a lot sadder and helpless. The news-phobia still continues but these days in the form of Arnab Goswami, Barkha Dutt and Rajdeep Sardesai.
That week it was our class which had to give the thought and read the news headlines. Someone had already prepared the thought, and the person who was supposed to read the newspaper was absent. It was chaos in the class as another girl and I went around the class asking everyone if they would read the headlines. We got various excuses -
“I did last time”
“I am doing next time”
“I am not doing”
All done and declined, the only one who was left now was me! :-O I was OK giving thoughts and had done so already before but reading the newspaper was a big NO. I hated newspapers and never read them. I had no idea which section appeared where in the dozen sheets of paper. “Hey please, I can’t do this, please…”, I almost pleaded. “Come on, you can do it. I’ll mark all the pages and headlines for you. All you have to do is read..” Reluctantly I agreed. Just as she found the pen to mark the news, horror of horrors, the bell rang and it was time to go the assembly. “Just read the big letters and you will be fine”, she shouted just before we went our separate ways – she to stand in the line on the ground, me on the corridor/dias. Before I knew it, it was time for me to go forward and read the news. I read the first page all right, the second and third pages too. From the fourth page onwards there was no distinction in font sizes – all headings were in the same sized font. From there on, I read a couple of them here and there. Disaster had begun. I turned the page, scanned left, read, scanned right, read, turned the page,scan…. I started to hear giggles from the student. Then someone hissed from behind -”Enough Namratha, read the sports page and come back”. Did that.
Next few days I had my head down. I promised myself I would read the newspaper everyday. I did that for a week- it was too depressing to read it. I do not know if anyone else still remembers the episode but being one of the most embarrassing incidents in my life, it’s hard for me to forget it. Now though, it does look and sound funny but you can’t imagine the kind of curses I threw at everyone who could have but did not read the newspaper that day :D
I still do not read newspapers. If I do, I end up with a bad mood, a lot sadder and helpless. The news-phobia still continues but these days in the form of Arnab Goswami, Barkha Dutt and Rajdeep Sardesai.
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