Tell us about a teacher who had a real impact on your life, either for the better or the worse. How is your life different today because of him or her?

I can’t comment on just a particular individual who has impacted my life, in this case, teacher so would just I like to thank all teachers who have taught me since I was a kid in school till date. (I pardon myself if I forgot to mention anyone in particular, but if I have to start covering the complete picture, I would take infinite time as everyone and every’thing’ from birth to death and beyond has to teach us something, so I’ll just spare you and myself from that)

I would like to thank all my primary teachers who were responsible primarily (get it?) for my upbringing. Forgive me as I don’t know what I have learned though.

In school days, my gratitude to Sister Mary, Brenda, Prabha and Sherene Mam (in school, a female teacher’s last name was always ‘mam’, and a male ones didn’t have one, perhaps they were universally bishops or something) Also a shout out to Devtosh and Pandit sir, because they were dam awesome.

In my higher school days, kudos to sirs Anurag Mishra, Amit Gupta and Sonal Rajora. I may not be a awesome-as-fuck-achieving-student that I was ‘supposed to’ but at least I’m a better person than before (hopefully)

In my (current) college days, I’m thankful to Shewta, Rohini and Anuradha mam. Also Ranjit sir. And how can I forget my first teacher in college Utkal?

And I would like to highlight some of my life long idols, teachers who have taught me valuable lessons in life.

Thank you Chinmaya, for showing me the journey is what matters, not the destination and even this shall pass away.

Thank you Bruce Lee, for helping me realize to be like water, and the secret of life is that it has to be lived.

Thank you Steve Jobs, for teaching me to follow my heart, and showing that anyone (crazy) can change the world.

Thank you Mike Shinoda, for telling me not to wait for something which has never happened, and to do it myself.

Thank you Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, for showing me that genius comes from simplicity and humbleness.

Back in ’03 or ’04 which I don’t clearly remember, (back when I used to write poetry) I had a written a poem being a tribute to teachers, which had undergone some revisions later in ’06, school acknowledged then (a friend who a member of the student council read it, as I always preferred, the backstage) and remember a senior teacher asking saying out loud “WHO IS ADITYA IYER!? WE WANT TO SEE HIM” I thought I was really screwed thinking was it that horrible? Well not quite as they said then, and that being one of my only 5 seconds moment of fame further escalated when in my last year of school, the former (and till date the most loved, respected and only real) president of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam visited out school for its 100 years of existence, who saw my work, was really pleased and ‘congratulated’ me (I still don’t have a word for it) for it. That was a big deal for me, since he was a big inspiration to me and one of my idols (as I mentioned above). That was the first best moment of my life (considering we have so many) 😀

Personally, I find it (and almost everything I ever wrote) horrible and silly. People always said and some still say that they are great, but I feel they are just being nice. (Or really don’t care)

As for the poem itself, I would have posted it here, but I’d rather have you go here to my first/’original’ blog when I posted it back then. Hope you like it.