How I learned the word DIGNITY!

(Yet its after a long time again... Its very difficult to remain consistent but I'll do better. 

This incident, I wrote a few months ago, when I remembered it out of the bloom and thought I should pen it down. Its definitely a real life experience but moreover it changed my way of looking towards a particular work completely...

You may too had some similar instances, do write it down at advaitm29@gmail.com )

It was probably 2:30pm, summer time, the fans sprawling hot air throughout the day. I was engrossed in preparing a Monthly Planner in excel as an assignment of a course our computer institute offered. During summer we used to have record number of admissions for the course, mostly enrolled by the 10th appeared students. The whole institute was buzzing with students spread over 10 batches, right from 7am to 7pm. 

Suddenly my mother stepped in the half occupied computer lab and asked the remaining students to leave as new batch was about come who was attending the lecture in the other hall. 

Then she came to me and very calmly said, "Listen, today our office maid has called in sick and so the lab has not been cleaned since yesterday. Take the broom behind the door and sweep the lab before the 3pm batch returns. I am going upstairs for some admin work. "

This was not very much new to but whenever I swept it was mostly before the day starts or at the end of the day.

Never had I cleaned nor touched the broom whatsoever in front of the students, in the middle of the day when students switched in and out. I was probably in 8th standard but I had some 'ummmnn'.  

Saying her 'no' or faking to sweep or do nothing was not a strategy I would adopt, not because the CCTV were recording but I at that time was too much orderly and sincere than I am today. I waited for the lab to be fully vacated which took about 15min. Then I partly shut the door and began sweeping. Since shut down all the fans even the movement of the air stopped and I was seriously sweating. I took out my handkerchief to wipe my face but while I was changing the side it fell down in the little dirt I collected on the side which I just wiped my face with, but I was sweating severely and so used it anyway. Suddenly I saw someone opening the door, I stood up to see who it was. It were the students who got here, as my father ended his lecture 10min early.

 

 I released the broom and released it in a swing. I just acted to wipe my face and hoped none actually saw me. I was surprised because they didn't enter, as my father came from behind instructing them not to enter. I was too nervous and it felt too embarrassed to sweep the place in front of bunch of 'timid' grown ups who would only know me as 'the one who brooms the floor.' At that age, when maturity is at its lowest, I, boggling down by the opinion of those students perhaps who wouldn't have cared whether the lab was swept or not now seems acceptable.    

All of this was patiently being watched by my father & he instantaneously realized that why I stopped!

He came, he asked, "Why did you stopped?" I fumbled," No..., I am...... continuing! Just took a break.." 

He almost swooped the broom lying and began to clean himself. Just like that! All the students gazed at him along with me as he cleaned the lab which I had half left. It was very surprising for me, at that time especially, to see my father who was almost 46 years old, wearing formal clothes, probably had certain clients waiting for him above  cleaned the lab like it is just another day. There was no remote sign on his face depicting any boastful pride but just a clear intent to do what needs to be done.

     

From that day itself it was pretty clear in my mind that it doesn't matter where I reach? What I achieve? I will never be reluctant to do a work which is 'considered' as less dignified (though these are generally the most needed) just because of the pre-conceived notion "WHAT WOULD PEOPLE SAY?