Parlor Spider...Step In, Little Fly

Insightful thoughts and/or rants from atop the soapbox from one who wishes to share the "right" opinion with everyone.

Friday, June 15, 2007

We Should All Be So Determined

Even in 2007, there are students in every high school who are old enough to graduate but have not passed the requisite courses. We give them extra credit, independent study, charter schools, alternative schools, diploma-mill prep schools and home schools, and yet, some of them simply don't complete the process. They need to take a lesson in determintaion from Shivcharan Jatav of Rajasthan, India. He refuses to take "no" for an answer to his educational dilemma. Granted, he's probably a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but you've got to give him credit. He has been trying to pass the 10th grade test given in India...well, let's just say for a long time. You see, this farmer in western India is 73, and he just failed the test for the 39th time yet vows to continue taking it in order to improve his marriage prospects. It seems that every time in the past he wanted to get hitched, the bride's family would refuse based on his lack of education. So, he continues doggedly on...in spite of passing only one section on this year's test: Sanscrit. And it's not like he's just missing the cutoff point, either: his score was 103 out of 600 on the 39th try! Talk about no child being left behind!
The ultimate in optimism and determination is what we need to focus on here. I would imagine his prospects of marriage at 80 are slim enough. Face it, if he had money, there would be NO objections so we presume he doesn't. Introducing a new person into a lifetime of doing-it-my-way would be problematic as well. So, why is this important? determination to succeed. My mom got her high school diploma at 40, and it DID help her occupational goals (she was already married).
So I say to all of you: stop whining about things you've tried a couple of times at and failed. Don't come bellyachin' to me until you've failed 39 times!
I'm off to try roller skating again.

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