Once I was a nerd and Albert Einstein inspired me.

Being the oldest son my father

always had high hopes from me and determined to not only meet his

expectations but to exceed them, I was and remained the obedient, bright

student whose father came to the Parent Teachers Meeting aware he would only

hear a myriad of praises, throughout my primary education. 1st position and A

plus grades which other students celebrated upon achieving was routine for me.

Sitting in the front row, studying meticulously all day and that too willingly and

then returning home and studying more was how I spent most of my mundane

days. Most of this studying taking place seated meant not only was my brain

colossal but my tummy astronomical too. Fat and stout unable to run for longer

than 2 seconds, during our sports period, if I wasn’t volunteering in helping a

teacher out, I played as the goalkeeper and apparently my figure helped me

perform astonishingly well as I covered more than 3 quarters of the goal by just

standing there. Soon our goalposts were replaced by bigger posts and my only

activity also slipped away. One thing about my studious early life was I had lots of

friends or in better terms kids who copied tests and assignments off me. Being too

nice had always been one characteristic I regretted most and hence I often, at

time exploiting my all-so-brilliant image, went out of the way to help these
FRIENDS of mine. All was going well: I thought I was happy, my parents were

pleased with me, my teachers loved me, and my friends talked to me sometimes.

However, then during the first year of my O levels I made a friend, a friend for life.

Alongside him I started actually enjoying life more than just grades. I realized that

a joke I cracked which made people laugh gave me more joy than any grade, a

birthday surprise for me brought smiles wider than any Math-O-Quiz trophy, a

class bunk was more entertaining than any class I’ve been to and not being the

monitor of the class was definitely much more relaxing. It was an extensive, slow

process but within 2 years’ time I was a changed man and unlike the majority I

would say I changed for the better. I found my never-ending passion for all

different types of sports and by sports, I mean actual sports like cricket, football

and basketball and not chess and scrabble which most people then expected of

me. It was immensely difficult in the beginning, more for others to accept this

change than it was for me and I am often hurdled with taunts from the past to

this very day but with time I am remolding my identity in the eyes of others.

Losing weight and making all types of un-nerdy friends coupled with a little extra

push from puberty made me who I am today. Now I am a jock and Snoop Dogg’s

my idol.