The Vote of Thanks

For which event you ask? It’s the “COVID OUTWITTED”!

Where you ask? In the auditorium of your homes!

When you ask? 40 days of lockdown!

It is always my deepest honor, privilege, and pleasure to propose the vote of thanks, so much so that I’ve come to be known as the vote of thanks person!

I’ve watched people get their hands dirty in order to keep themselves purposefully engaged in engaging students purposefully. The learning curve has shown a different wave and that is about being uniform for all, it went above average but surprisingly not low. Why you say? Because students woke up in their own homes filled with the warmth of a fully present family, they were well fed with mommy and daddy or older sibling churning out exceptional dishes, deriving training from YouTube or making simple authentic dishes from grandma’s instructions, and that thick trending coffee for sure. They had a comfortable work or study place without cameras doing surveillance, they didn’t have peers to compete with, they inhaled fresh oxygen and did not have the travelling traffic congestion ruining that for them, they had time, their pace, their plan, and their independence.

I watched people get into a frenzy trying to send the best possible advice across to help keep kids well. Eat right, exercise right, sleep right, time things right, watch right, converse right, wear right, think right; the perfect child, where imperfect adults suddenly became aware of and responsible towards.

I watched hands come together to pray. Like the praying mantis, in that position more than ever before. If not coincidence what was it, that in 40 days, we celebrated 3 major religious festivals – Ramnavami, Jagni-ki-rath, and Easter. All Hindu, Muslim, and Christian believers in their vigilant spiritual hearts turned to God for answers, for protection, for deliverance. May the Almighty grant you all the blessings and healing grace that come from His merciful and compassionate throne on high. Aren’t we all safe until now… So, pray for his continued love on us and suffering mankind around the world.

I watched people over think and in despair scream for attention to the newsiest  media, to the ebbing economy, to who is responsible for this, how to keep the essential services lasting and to steadily reach all the severely affected, to question, predict and zoom into the fallacious tomorrow of this situation, to hold one’s peace, to convey gratitude to those standing firm and serving in harm’s way. This is when we call ourselves truly global, universal. This is our common reality, stuck in it together, eternally hopeful.

I watched myself too! Am I scared? Can I even fathom the magnitude of this earthly plague? Am I to think I am comfortable and safe because I am stuck within the walls of my house with all the family without the virus, food on the table, resources to indulge in at will, savings that will see me through? Am I going to be healthier for better or for worse? Will I be sane, as I seem now or turn savage in time’s protracted state of decay, where this might become the era of evolution through the survival of the fittest?

Nature finds its time to work without Man’s interference and is turning fresh, clean and lush, brushing upon itself the erstwhile colors of heavenly bloom. The sound of birds chirping, frolicking with an overdose of PDA and no Man policing or punishing their gay abandonment of spirit trespassing into your 10 potted gardens! Is this only possible because we are separated? Pity the street or pariah dogs though, they are carefree about sleeping in the middle of the road, their barks are subdued for free food is a far cry. Every mouth that cries is not being fed. Wasn’t Man and Nature created to co-exist? Did we get it wrong for all the age of the earth?

Is this the time for the New Earth to be birthed where the remnant mankind has purged itself of unkindly ways? The generation that resembles God’s original creation and serve His Majesty’s will and follow His statutes. When Nature builds Man and Man builds Nature.  And the words destroy, misuse, and greed are not understood.

Do you count yourself in these numbers? Will you be the one with the story to re-tell, when this verse is forgotten?

I am eternally hopeful that I will survive this catastrophe. When I think of my purpose in life, I think of having raised a decent family and serving you as my career community.

My hands hold my vote of thanks speech. My last line goes…

I can’t thank you all enough for sticking through this. If only the great Bard, William Shakespeare knew what he wrote was for times like this! The world is a stage and each one has his time, his role to play. Each one of you, teachers, students, parents, admin support staff, the governance, have turned their own tables and humbly served one and another. Thank you all for making it brilliantly so far. Don’t lose sight of the promises marked for you.

This is your Badge. You are a Survivor. Wear it proudly where only you can see it, lest pride consume your well- being. May your strong hands, mind, heart, and body brace together to wield the future.

My head bows low in admiration of what you’ve already done. DON’T QUIT.

Ms. Susan Bird

Vice Principal – CBSE Section

I am fat and funny. Living up to 52 without regrets. I know how to love, eat, pray. My natural vibes question your serenity. Why be guarded all the time, when you know you are a good one! So, limbo up when you read me. I write because you can read. I’m not writing for myself, then why write at all. I have a good memory! Now you know me. I like you because you are still reading. You won’t be disappointed, why should you? Then you should write for your own taste.

I teach English, because I love words and I love how they can boil you to a raging disapproving or melt you and spread you on the floor where you see your reflection! I don’t write much because I hate getting in the right punctuation. You should work a little too! You put the pause, you put the capitalization, you put the exclamation, you put the question mark, you put these… and see if you want a continuation. I PROMISE, I won’t force the laughter and the pain.

When I am at peace and when I am disturbed, I write. But this one comes with the interference of both. Will love your feedback. I humbly change!