It was in the autumn of ’87 that I learned a valuable lesson that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I was a sprightly young lad of 10 years in my 6th standard at one of the best “convent” schools in Chennai, then Madras. When the time for our annual Science Talent Competition came, unwittingly I gave my name. I had no clue what had to be done next. At home that evening, I realised that my brother studying in 11th Standard had also given his name, and he was a science wizard (he later went on to become a fine engineer). He asked me to relax and had got his kid brother’s dilemma in control.
Within a few hours, he whipped up The Nerve Tester, my project. It’s a simple contraption made on a cardboard with a small loop connected between two posts (wooden reaper) marked as “Start” and “Finish”. The objective is to guide the loop from one end to the other, without touch the wire, as touching the wire completes the circuit and a small bulb powered by 2 pen torch battery will glow, then the person is disqualified or does not have nerves of steel. If someone was smart to finish, to complicate the game, the loop was made smaller or the wire twisted and turned to make it a roller coaster ride.
The next few days were spent training me how to present this project to the judges and all probable questions were rehearsed. I must admit, my brother was a good teacher. The D-day came, and I did the demo to the judges, they questioned and were visibly impressed with my answers. The last question was: What is the volt of the battery used? That stumped me, as my brother had not briefed me, it was elementary Watson – 1.5 volts is the standard battery and kids smaller than me would know it, told, my brother later at home. For the next 50 secs, I mumbled and stammered to explain the volt of the battery and the judges figured out, I had no clue on the answer. They smiled and moved on, I felt extremely embarrassed, not because I could not answer them, but because I had not done the right thing. I had borrowed my brother's feathers, to shine on.
I am reminded of Aesop Fables— one of the tales is of the Crow and the Peacock, which most of you know. I learned a valuable lesson that day: It’s foolish to try to be what you are not. From that day, till today, I’ve tried to live life without borrowing feathers.
To add salt to my bruised ego, I secured first place in the competition, any guesses, well I was the only participant in the sub–juniors category.