School group photo of author

When you get recognized.

Adolescence is the most delicate phase of our life. This is when you excel in something that gets you the recognition. Either you are good in studies, sports, music, art, or even creating mischief in the class that gets you recognition. You are just part of the crowd if you have none of it.

I was featured as a singer in all functions. I had an identity. Everyone knew me in the school. But when I was in seventh standard, the Juvenile Eczema that had affected me as an infant resurfaced. Soon it spread across my body. It was visible from my neck, and around the ears.

It was an unpleasant sight. The skin was dark pink, wet, and looked very ugly. I managed to carry on attending school. My teachers and fellow students never let me feel discarded. But occasionally, I could see the horrific eyes of others reacting to the sight of my ugly skin.

After a year or more, my Eczema vanished, thanks to my Homeopathy doctor, and since then, it has never resurfaced.

Advancing to the 9^th standard, we were welcomed by the new 10+2 system. Until then, students were given to select any of the three streams (science, commerce, arts) at the 9^th standard, and they would appear in the ‘Board Examination’ after the 11^th standard (school leaving).

With the new system, we would be retained in the school for another year and sit for the ‘Board Examination’ after 12^th standard.

It took a couple of years to create my identity after recovering from Eczema. I picked up the pace with other ‘good’ students, became part of the school’s football team, and played several inter-school tournaments. I made a place for myself.

Winning over Eczema was perhaps easier than winning over my FOLO (fear of losing out). I won it because, I think, I was not fighting to win. I knew I would win.

I moved to college and became a star, with my armory full of songs.

Bottomline:

Fighting the battle of life is inevitable. Fight it with your soft skills.

Make a place for yourself by following your Ikigai (reason to live).