The qualities of a pencil.

The seven qualities of a pencil can be a guiding philosophy of one's life.

A young girl was watching her grandmother writing in a book. She asked her what she was writing.

Her grandmother stopped writing and said to her granddaughter : "I am writing a story but more important than the words is the pencil I'm using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up".

Intrigued, the girl looked at the pencil. It didn't seem very special. "But it's just like any other pencil I've seen!"

That depends on how you look at things. It has seven qualities which, if you manage to adopt, will make you a happy person who is always at peace with the world.

First quality. You must never forget that there is a hand guiding you. We call that hand Almighty and He always guides us according to His will.

Second quality. Now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, it is much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows because they will make you a better person.

Third quality. The pencil allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the right path.

Fourth quality. What really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.

Fifth quality. It always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in every action of yours.

Sixth quality. It gets shorter and shorter with use.....so does life. Make the most while it lasts.

Seventh quality. It writes till the very end. Be useful and productive till the last!

Tailpiece.

The day began at 4, thanks to Lekha's cellphone alarm. Went through the chores and was ready by 6. Anto came in by a 10' past 6 and we set off to the railway station. The train left the station, eventually, around a 5' to 7.

Got off at Ernakulam South by a half past 9, caught an auto rickshaw and reached Vyttila hub by 10. Had the packed breakfast of appams and chutney, then found that I didn't have change to buy even a cup of tea!

The low floor bus left for Thiruvananthapuram at 1040 hrs. Met Anaswara, studying CMA at the Lakshya Academy in Kochi. A smart girl who gave me company till Kayamkulam.

Reached the Foundation by 5, thanks to lousy traffic!

After spending the evening out there, we reached home by a quarter past 8. Yakkitiyak and a boisterous supper.