pressure?

Back in class 7, when I was participating in the first elocution competition being conducted outside school, I was all geared up for the event. The topic being interesting, I was prepared for all the 3 minutes I will be allowed to speak. And why was the topic interesting? Yes, the most common reason. Movies. "Impact of cinema on today's youth". I had content covering the Baazigar spects, the k..k..kiran touch and was sure I would emerge with one of the prizes. It was all fine till my name was called. And then feet started trembling, voice went dead. I could barely speak a word. All of this just because, one person in the audience was interested in my performance. And that person wanted me to emerge the winner outperforming all others no matter how good they were and how weak I was.

Imagine a Sachin Tendulkar in the middle of 100,000 people at the stadium and millions of them watching him offline, all of them wanting him to get a century, no matter what the opposition is and what the circumstances are. I agree. To be chosen out of one billion people should make you all strong to face such pressure. But is it justifiable to ask every innings of his to be the best one? Is it justifiable to ask the Indian team to win all the matches? And yeah, I am also one of the persons who want our team to win all the matches.

But as some great person said, "The audience is always right".
Leaving it to the audience to decide.

a comment and a zillion thoughts

Ecstatic I was, to see a comment left on my blog.
Why should I not be, for it was the first valid comment somebody ever put on my blog.
I know that I hardly have any readers. But when I saw there was one, I was impressed.
After all some unknown person is also reading my blog, I thought.

Then started the guessing game. Who would it be? someone I knew? somebody I told about my blog? someone who accidentally came across and either was impressed by my writing or was totally disappointed at me having a blog? Thousands thoughts crossed my mind, but they lasted only for a few seconds before the much-awaited precious comment unleashed before me on my favorite browser.
And I was dumb-struck.

The comment:
"Reading your blog and I figured you'd be interested in advancing your life a bit, call us at 1-206-339-5106.
No tests, books or exams, easiest way to get a Bachelors, Masters, MBA, Doctorate or Ph.D in almost any field.

Totally confidential, open 24 hours a day.

Hope to hear from you soon!"

I just can't resist appreciating the way marketing is changing the world.
Of the umpteen number of ways of promoting your business, this blog-commenting is the latest I suppose. Generating bot-programs to scan people's blogs and put in an ad there. Wow! What an idea clubbed with efficient technology.

But, a few things. (if the comment was the result of some bot.)
Is the program so intelligent to decipher that I am interested in advancing my life, just by reading some irregular posts of mine.

The idea is promising, though. Imagine me getting an MBA and a Ph.D with no exams and the best part is: in any field. Be it Microbiology or/and Astronomy or/and Paleontology.
That would be a great idea.

And why should all this be confidential?
So many questions left unanswered by a single comment.

And the highlight of the whole comment was it inspired to make a new post.
It came in the right moment, when I was searching for topics to post about.

Till one more comment gets me to write more.