1980.
I was twelve years old, growing up in a small village in Tamil Nadu. Life was simple and quiet. We had no electricity at home, which meant no lights, no fans—and no studying after sunset. But somehow, it also meant no stress! Once school was done, I helped my father climb Palmyra trees at night. On weekends, I worked as a daily wage laborer, doing whatever jobs came my way.
At the time, I was in Class 7 at St. Gabriel’s Roman Catholic Middle School, in a beautiful little hamlet called Thickurichy. Our school stood beside the cool, flowing Kulithurai River, surrounded by green trees and soft breezes. We didn’t have classrooms with walls or electricity. We sat under the open sky and carried our own blackboards. The sun was our tube light, and the wind was our fan.
There were nine students in my class—seven boys and two girls. But when we moved up to Class 8, only the seven boys remained. One of the girls didn’t pass, and the other didn’t want to study alone. So there we were—just us seven boys in Class 8. A small batch, but full of energy.
That year, I was elected School Pupil Leader. Every morning, around thirty students from the village walked with me to school. I led from the front—my younger brother Doss on my left, and my cousin Arul on my right. We were a team. The whole school had only seventy-five students, and somehow, they had trusted me to lead them.
We studied hard, but it was the Midday Meal Scheme from the Tamil Nadu Government that helped many of us stay in school. A plate of hot wheat upma was more than food—it was a reason to keep going.
Then came my first real test.
Our Tamil teacher, Ms. Ratna Bai, was known for her strict voice and sharper eyes. We secretly called her the “Tamil Bandit”! One day, she asked me to take part in the school elocution competition. I didn’t dare say no. She wrote a short, clear speech in Tamil and helped me practice it. I memorized it quickly, but the competition was still two weeks away. Every night, I grew more nervous.
Around that time, my elder brother, a fan of history and drama, decided to spice up my speech. He added a famous English quote to impress the judges. In those days, speaking English in a village school was like magic. I was excited! I repeated that line everywhere—while walking, eating, even while bathing. It echoed in my dreams.
The speech had four neat parts:
- Introduction
- Main Message
- Conclusion
- Grand Closing Line
I was ready.
November 14th—Children’s Day. My big moment had arrived.
At 4:00 PM, the jury called my name. I stepped onto the stage with full confidence and stood beside the judge. The bell rang. I began with strength and energy.
Then came the English quote.
What I was supposed to say was:
“Nehru was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”
What I actually said was:
“Nehru is born of the poon.”
I had dropped the ‘s’ from spoon. My tongue slipped. My mind went blank. I paused, confused. The jury stared. Ms. Ratna Bai looked away, clearly disappointed.
But the crowd—oh, the crowd!—thought I had said something smart. They leaned forward, curious and impressed. That gave me hope.
So I tried again:
“Nehru is born of the spoon of the India.”
Still wrong. Still hopeful.
Panic kicked in, and suddenly I began performing the quote. I tried different styles—raising my voice, swinging my arms, walking like an actor from a Tamil movie. The audience laughed and clapped. They thought I was a genius!
And I ended with a line that I completely invented on the spot:
“Nehru is born of the spoon of the silver of the spoon of India!”
It made no sense—but it was unforgettable.
Despite the mistake, the judges gave me a special prize—for courage and confidence.
That one moment changed me.
It turned my fear into boldness, and my mistake into motivation. I began participating regularly in elocution contests and later won many awards. What started as an accident became a turning point.
Today, I can speak and write in English with confidence. But I know—it wasn’t me. It was God’s grace. He didn’t lift me because I was perfect. He lifted me because He is kind.
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid,
but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“Children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.”
— Psalm 127:3