I never had a teacher like Morrie Schwartz. But I had someone else, very quotidian and no where as flamboyant. But in his own way, he told me a lot many good things.

It was DKB, our ‘Head of plus two’, a post created solely for the man. Because he wasn’t Christian, so he could never become principal or vice principal. So they placated him by making him Head of Plus two.

DKB, taught Physics. And frankly sucked at it…he was big time ineffective.

But the man told me a couple of things, once he asked me, what was it I wanted to do in life?

Me: “I want to be an engineer, a Computer Engineer”.
DKB: “Where do you want to do it? Abroad?”
Me: “No in India. I know I cannot make it to IIT, but anything a rung below, will do”.

Btw, I did make it to IIT, technically speaking atleast. I did a project on Steganography in association with a Professor who taught Digital Signal Processing, in IIT Madras. Worked in there labs and offices for six whole months.

Anyways,

DKB: “You will face a big culture shock; you will have to live with people who wear gamchas! And eat rice like there is no tomorrow! It will be an anti-thesis of all that you have been exposed to at La-Martiniere”

I had found it ludicrous then, but yes all that he had warned me about, “the culture shock” did happen.

Another time, I had gone to complain to DKB about the selection of some team. Some worthy guys had been left out, and some daft pricks had been included.

I complained, how ‘not good’ the whole thing was, and how worthy people were being wrongfully left out. I raved and ranted for their cause. But DKB didn’t budge, his official line was, the selection has been made and it won’t be changed!
I had exclaimed ‘But Sir, it’s not FAIR!”.

DKB had prophetically said, “Who ever told you that life was supposed to be fair?”.

Frankly, I had wanted to wring his neck then, and somehow ensure that justice was done.

But with time, I have come to realize that this probably was the most practical advice anyone ever has given me.

While driving back from work last night, I realized it fully and forever. A lot of our problems are because we expect life to be fair.

There was a lot more sapient advice DKB had given me, but for the love of my life I can’t remember what they were. It’s good in a way, I guess this way i'll discover my own truths.