"Que Sera, Sera"

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother
What will I be
Will I be pretty
Will I be rich
Here's what she said to me

Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be

Now I have Children of my own
They ask their mother
What will I be
Will I be handsome
Will I be rich
I tell them tenderly

Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be

.................

When Doris Day first sang this song in 1971, she probably had no idea what a tough life young people would lead 34 years after her song, especially now. ‘Que Sera Sera or whatever will be will be’ was sung at a time when life was easy; competition was low, friends were helpful, days were about singing and playing the guitar, laughing to our hearts content with friends and family, reading adventure story-books, sipping lemonade, taking a walk by the lake, boating on a lazy afternoon or simply enjoying Mother’s special recipe for dinner and politics was absolutely for elders to talk about. Talking of which, these activities used to be normal things to do with not a worry about what the future holds for us.

Having said this, these days children hardly have any time for some lazy day-dreaming, though day-dreaming plays a very big role in shaping the future of young people. Dreaming doesn’t cost a thing and we can do it at our own time and pace, whenever and wherever we want it. What we dream, we achieve. And if we project all our energy and activity towards the dream, nothing can stop it from taking shape. But I have noticed that children are scared to dream, as if their dreams will be nipped at the bud by someone. However, if they are confident enough, they will see their dreams taking shape in front of them.

While counselling for Class VIII, IX and X, I have noticed a similar pattern in the minds of the majority of the children. Whenever I ask them, “What is that one thing that you are passionate about that you dream to be or want in life?” And most of the answers would be, “Ma’am, let us see the school leaving results and then we will decide!” Others would say they would like to take up science and then ‘try’ to sit for their medical or engineering entrance exams. There are quite a large number who want to take up arts, some commerce. And these days, quite a handful want to become politicians and ‘good incorruptible politicians’, they say, which I think is a heartening and positive trend. The country now is in desperate need of extremely ‘good’ people.

What I want to say is that at a time when the world has come down to their study tables, young people are still indecisive about what they will ‘take up’ or what and who they want to be even at the eleventh hour. The internet offers almost all the answers to even the weirdest questions we might throw at it. And children are still stuck at being a ‘doctor’ or an ‘engineer’?

However, there are some students who are absolutely confident about their careers and they exude this passion in the way they talk, walk, behave and ask questions. These young people have dreamt and are on their way to achieve their dreams. They are confident about their future and there is absolutely nothing which can hold them back to get to the point which they have envisioned. I was particularly impressed by the confidence of one young boy who said he would like to work at NASA! Dream on! Dream and the stars will be yours!

As a young girl, I remember someone telling me that schools in Japan screen students as early as the Second Standard. They find out through their personalised process as to which student will go onto become a scientist, a teacher, an engineer, a doctor, a journalist etc. They then segregate the students and teach them only that particular subject relevant to the career they will take up in the future. Now, how good is that?

If our schools too can think of implementing such an idea, the future of each student then becomes a reality. A young person will not have to think of how her/his future will be shaped by the school leaving exam results. She/he will be confident enough to concentrate entirely on the relevant subject. A student with a dream to become a journalist will study only those subjects pertinent to journalism. Field visits can be implemented into the course and by the end of the academic session the student is moulded and shaped to be a journalist par excellence. Likewise for other career options as well!

However, the onus lies with the parents, the guardians and the teachers. If we are talking of a cohesive and healthy future of the world, then we have to think of moulding our children; children who will understand about giving back to the society. Getting a percentage as high as 99.9 is a shocker but it shouldn't stunt the growth of the achiever. This should be the wings to fly to a direction which will be beneficial for the growth of not only the individual but the world.

No one wishes to be Alice in Wonderland with no sense of direction and sing Que Sera Sera or do we??