Malfunctions of My Brain

One of the best investment decisions I took in my life was in 1999. It did not involve money but it was necessary to make it. I pronounced, “English will be the only language allowed in my family. No conversation can be in Malayalam or Hindi”.

It was not a welcome move. Many of my relatives branded it as arrogance and attitude.

My Father-in-law was very vocal about my decision. “You should not keep the next generation away from their mother-tongue Malayalam,” he said.

I held steadfast to it by way of an emotional submission “As long as the blood is of a Mallu, they will learn that dialect too. When they are pushed to the corner, they will try hard to pick up all languages around them be it Malayalam, Marathi or Mandarin”.

Necessity of language is the father of learning. Innovation becomes the mother.

Creative writing was the subject floating in the air whole last week. Phinnu was given a task by the English teacher to pen “why you like English language”. Mom and son discussing it animatedly.

True to his nature, he is always in a hurry to finish his assignments. A course correction was much needed in his hussle up approach.

If expressions are relatable, points put forth becomes lively and rhyming. Finally he came up with a gem of an analogy. His first creative writing was born with wings.

Mon, Mar 29, 2021, 12:43 PM Phinnaeus A L <alphinnaeus@gmail.com> wrote:

When I think about English my feelings can be compared to drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter morning. After my brain is overworked by the other subjects, English makes me feel relaxed. When I listen to stories and poems, I am transported to the imaginary place where the author narrates the story. New idioms and words in the book are added to my vocabulary which I try to use in my day-to-day conversations. These are the reasons why English is one of my favorite subjects

Thank you
A.L Phinnaeus IX A

English Teacher Date: Wed, Mar 31, 2021 at 11:15 PM
Re: Why I like English subject
To: Phinnaeus A L

Dear Phinnaeus, Thanks for the mail. I really liked the way you have drawn comparison – ‘drinking hot chocolate…’. Continue reading and enjoy the benefits that come along with it. I really enjoyed reading your mail and I’m sure one day I would be reading a novel by the renowned author, A. L. Phinnaeus.

I felt proud of reading both emails. Every investment takes time. It took 13 long years to see the effects of my demand at home. In about another decade, his language will bloom and flourish.

Create reading habits in children. Build a small library at home. Discuss and debate social, political, family budgets, adolescence, gender equality and family values with kids. Dinning table conversations are the best to connect with youngsters. Onesided preaching may have adverse effects, be careful there.

Happy Investing in Reading Books.