I know You would never do that ... consciously, but perhaps You are already doing it if You are above 40 and an Indian Middle class.
It was way back in 1982, a boy from a village in AP feels like he is floating in air, reaches home with his Rank card of EMCET with a rank beyond his expectation. But then he did not know that it is the end of his childhood / youth and all that is ahead is grind, grind and more grind. That he was among the top two in his Versity among all branches in First Year does nothing better.
The quest for topping and self set high bars make his life miserable missing every thing except for the evening chats and a fortnightly movie. He cannot sleep until it is 11-12 PM as he has to wait for the large family to to sleep at about 9-30 to 10PM.
If it is Exams time it is time for nightmares and early morning shivers and startled wake ups and thumping heart. You cant miss an answer and you have to keep up , at any cost , at the cost of Youth, joy, friendships and everything. The self imposed grind has found him as his batch's second topper and gave him an MTech seat at IITM. But then ...
He by then knew he has burnt himself outand sleeps for hours and days in Krishna Hostel (room 2 or 22?) bunking his classes. Starts enjoying the roads of Chennai, walks in Campus, weeps in labs over non performance, teaches classmates (?) , refuses to attend even exams (calls it skipping) and understands that there is life beyond a BE, MTech or an MS in US as most of his contemporaries did.
No he doesnot call it quits but just thinks he wants to be a Govt Officer because he always knew that the Govt is a Model employer (at least in India) and he didnot want to be exploited by a Bania (no caste intended) in India or US. His life just starts at 22 and goes on without many hickups.
But the Nightmares continue to haunt him over and over for Decades to come. In these ...He goes to the Exam hall and finds Maths paper while he came prepared for English or Hindi. OR he finds all those questions that he skipped as there was choice. Hundred many ways that an Exam can go wrong......
All this .. a result self Imposed Targets (BE, MTEch .....) . Just think of what You are doing to your child ? Dont ever send them to Chaitanyas, Ramaiahs or FIITJEEs et all.You have the right to Give life to a Child but not the right to take one .. even if it is Your Own Child's.....
