With June just a hiccup away, Goa’s gen-next will be making new beginnings, either in higher secondary or at professional colleges. Our land’s resurgence depends on the following message touching the hearts of as many daughters and sons of the soil as possible; I fear Goa cannot afford to have another generation running into figurative brick walls like so many have done till date.
College is a whole new world, with tons of opportunities, challenges, problems and even potentially deadly landmines. Start each day by asking your parents for their blessings. Remember their hands on your head and conduct yourself accordingly, bringing honour to their name. Tame the most powerful weapon in your arsenal (your tongue), quit spewing foul language and mindless talk like you did in school. As a disciple of the field you are enrolled in, prepare to learn all you can by first respecting your ‘gurus’. Treat your premises with the reverence due a temple or church; be on time, dress decently and be the last to leave if you truly want to be the best in your line. Make alliances with positive people, like the Sanskrit shloka says,”Wards of sin, pushes for good deeds; conceals secrets, reveals merits;never neglects in distress, helps in crisis. These the wise say are characteristics of a good friend.”
Use the resources the college offers like WiFi and computers to watch TED talks which will bring you up to par with international competitors. Your choice of music is more important than you can imagine; death metal, trance and mindless club beats will only serve to dull your intelligence while classical music will expand your consciousness, unlock your God given creativity and enhance your memory. Masterpieces like Adagio in G minor by Albinoni, Fur Elise by Beethoven, Carmina Burana by Carl Orff can even be listened to while studying and will keep you from violent tendencies that the youth who listen to heavy metal are prone to.
Thanks to our inept government, college will also introduce you to evils like drugs, gambling and cheap alcohol. Drinking is rationalised as part of our culture, while in psychological terms it is more like the Stockholm syndrome, where prisoners sometimes fall in love with their captors. You spent years being blissfully happy running as toddlers and playing games as kids; suddenly they convince you that you need stinky swill to dance, to sing, to enjoy a football game on TV, or prove that you’re a man. Don’t walk into that cage, stay away from alcohol, cigarettes and for heavens sake never touch drugs. Play sports, jog, lift weights, do a 100 push ups. Guys, learn ballroom dancing and you’ll have made the biggest investment you could ever make at that age!
Drugs should never have landed on our sacred soil, but our netas are obviously hand in glove with pushers, so you have to consciously decide not to allow their greed to flood your body with literally every poison known to the human race.
