My phone’s stupid and loud ring tone interrupted my thoughts.
Me: Hi Mom, how are you!
Mom: Hi! I am good, how are you?
Me: I am good too.
Mom: So how are you studying these days?
Me: Great, of course!
Mom: Don’t say ‘Of course”. Remember your younger days?
Me: What are you talking about? I have always been very smart.
Mom: Let me remind you something then. When you were 8 and your brother was 11 I asked you what I would do as your brother would be going to college in 6 years. And this is what you said: “Mom, after 6 years brother will go to college because he will be 17. But I will be 8 and nine years after that I’ll be 17 and I’ll have to go to college. So you don’t have to worry for the next 15 years!”
Me: Oh come on Mom, I was only 8.
The rest of the conversation goes on but I have little interest for I am sad that at 4 Susan Polgar started playing chess and at 8 I was a freaking retard! The phone conversation is over and I am planning on how to make up for the years I had lost. I am planning on reading up a couple of books on chess theories and thinking that is going to be enough for a man of my intelligence. The reader should not think I am giving myself undue credit here. Well, I am pursuing a Master’s in engineering and only intelligent people do that, right? Anyway, I am contemplating on what opening theories I have to read about. The Ruy Lopez, Chigorin variation has always been fascinating to me but of late I have found an admiration for the Sicilian Dragon especially after realizing the power of the fianchettoed bishop on g7 and the h7……….
This time my friend from school pings me.
Raj: hi buddy!
Me: hi raj, hw r u!
Raj: nt 2 bad. Neeway, sterday, I was talking to my frnds abt u and we were all laughing like crazy for 5 mins non- stop.
Me: Well, thnku, I always knew I would make a good standup comedian!
Raj: hold it dude. We were not laughing because u were funny but cause u were stupid! :)
Me: what do you mean :x
Raj: remember in our 10th grade we were all solving a problem in the class and when we all got stuck our teacher told us to divide and multiply the term with x? she asked us the answer after that and u were like, “ I have the same term again. x got cancelled!”
Me: Oh! Well, I got to go man. Catch up later. Bye!
Oh dear God! So, this time my age is not going to bail me out. If anything it is only going to make things worse.
But it has been said by famous people that most people don’t know how close they are to success when they quit. So I am going to work hard and dream big things. But before all that I am going to have to do some smart work too. I am going to switch off my mobile and turn off my computer. And now, dream on………….
