A Daring Life Lessons Story Challenging Authority!
An Insightful Series of Life Lessons That My Life Provided As I Lived Understanding Its Psychology and Philosophy Improving My Mental Health in The Process.
LIFE LESSON STORIES SERIES
A Daring Life Lessons Story: Challenging Authority Needs Responsible Guts
At age 26, on heading back to my hometown after resigning from my job, I had joined a postgraduate literature course. This was before I moved down to the valley to join a theater group a few months later.
A Daring Life Lessons Story: The Principal Raises An Objection
As I filled up the form and submitted it, the principal raised an objection. He said I didn’t have a graduate degree in literature; hence I didn’t qualify for admission in a postgraduate course. I showed him the rules allowing a graduate degree in technology as a sufficient qualification for any postgraduate course in literature anywhere.
It rendered him answer-less. But then he picked up another point in the form where I had declared myself as my own guardian. He said it wasn’t permissible. Actually, he was looking for any possible objection to my admission as my initiative had scared him about my intentions.
A graduate engineer had never applied for a postgraduate literature course in his college before. Why I was doing so generated a fear of the unknown in his mind. Hence he wanted to reject my application on any grounds he could put his finger on. It was an obsessive precautionary step on his part to stay away from any possible trouble if ever.
A Daring Life Lessons Story: I Raise My Objection to Principal’s Objection
“Do you mean I have no right to education in case I don’t have a traditional guardian?” I questioned.
“Don’t you really have one? It has never happened in the history of the college before,” said the principal in an apprehensive tone.
“There is always a first time for everything anywhere. And I am an adult which confers a right on me to be my own guardian. Isn’t it?” I was determined to declare myself as my own guardian.
He was again rendered answerless. Hence, he decided to give a clear voice to his apprehension.
“No one with an engineering graduation up one’s sleeve ever takes admission in a postgraduate literature course. What are your intentions behind doing so?” he was looking straight into my eyes.
“Nothing malafide!” I started laughing.
The principal couldn’t stop me from getting my admission. But he did alert the head of the literature department to keep a watch on me.
A Daring Life Lessons Story: My Tussle with The Head of Department
Next day when I attended my first class by head of the department, he asked all students to introduce themselves. He chose me to be the last one to do so and very cautiously listened to every single word I spoke out. I had already spoken it all in other teachers’ classes before and attracted my class fellows’ attention. We had all become quite friendly as a group by then.
“I don’t consider you to be a bonafide student in my class,” the head passed on an objectionable comment.
“You are insulting me, sir!” I raised an objection.
“No, I am telling you the reality and warning others to stay away from you,” he attacked me again.
“What makes you say that?” I asked him to clarify.
“I told you I don’t consider you to be a bonafide student in my class,” he repeated his assertion.
A Daring Life Lessons Story: Tit for Tat
“I don’t consider you to be a bonafide teacher in this college,” I gave a tit for tat back.
“How dare you say that to a head of the department?” the head roared.
“The way you dare say the same to a student officially admitted to your class,” I kept my tone cool.
“You will need to ask for an apology for having said that, right now here in front of the class.”
“The same should apply to you as well, sir,” my tone was still cool.
“What does the class say on this? Raise your hands who say he should apologize,” the head looked toward students.
No one raised their hands.
“Please raise your hands who say he should apologize and not I,” I again gave a tit for tat back.
All hands were raised.
The head kept looking at their raised hands for a while. Then he announced, “I won’t teach this class until all of you make him apologize in public.”
A Daring Life Lessons Story: I Challenge Authority of The Head
His subject was literary criticism. And I was sure I could teach it very easily as per syllabus in case he refused. I said, “No problem! I will teach it for the entire session in case you don’t.”
“And fail everyone in the university exams! Literary criticism isn’t a joke to understand,” he ridiculed me.
“I challenge you not a single student will fail in literary criticism in case I take a responsibility to hold classes. Please raise hands if everyone is ready,” I asked the class as I challenged the head.
All hands were raised again.
The head left the class saying, “Don’t call me throughout the session if you face any problem.”
“Don’t worry sir. I won’t let them face any problem,” I challenged him back again.
He left the class fuming in rage. I had to take up an extra responsibility of preparing my lectures to teach my class fellows for an entire session. I did that very responsibly. And everyone passed comfortably with me ranking first in the final exams held by the university.
Had it not happened so, I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself throughout my life. I was happy I had the guts to challenge authority in the most responsible way. That was the reason the head also apologized to me after the session was over and results were out.
As the session got over, I left my hometown to join a theater group in the valley below.
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