Goodbye, a narrative by Rishi Patil

   Goodbye, a narrative by Rishi Patil

I walked out of the hallway with all my friends in my grade, more or less ready to leave middle school for good. Teachers were raising packs of tissue papers as they got ready for the onslaught of sadness that would come over everyone. I didn’t take any. I don’t cry that much for stuff like this.

     However, as I walked through the halls and saw people I have made countless memories with move past my line of sight, I realized what was really happening. I was leaving. And it was going away. All of it.

     All too fast, I made it through the seventh graders without a tear dropping from my eyes, somehow, some way. That all changed as I stepped foot into the sixth grade hallway full of people I had met only that year. People who were going to do amazing things without me. One long hug was all I needed for tears to fall. My voice turned mushy and my vision went blurry. By the time I was down the hall, I was a mess. I gave a last hug to some of my teachers and stepped out of middle school for the last time, still bawling my eyes out.

     But honestly, I didn’t want to stop crying. It’s weird to say that the feeling of sadness I felt was unlike anything I felt. The bittersweet feeling that enveloped me was truly just beautiful. A physical manifestation of all the connections I had shared and moments that I cherish with all these amazing people that I was so blessed to meet. It was incredible how much these guys meant to me. Miss you guys.

The Stranger Who Changed My Day by Nandan Kamalakannan

 The Stranger Who Changed My Day by Nandan Kamalakannan

It was an ordinary afternoon. I was sitting in the library trying to finish my homework, surrounded by

books, notes, and a growing feeling of frustration. I had been staring at the same problem for almost

twenty minutes, and nothing seemed to make sense.

I looked around and noticed how quiet the library was. Everyone seemed busy with their own lives. A

student was typing on a laptop, someone was reading a novel, and an elderly man was carefully choosing

books from a shelf. Everyone had a story, but I knew nothing about any of them.

After a few more minutes of struggling, I decided to take a short break. As I walked toward the water

fountain, I dropped some of my papers on the floor. Before I could pick them up, the elderly man I had

noticed earlier helped me collect them.

“You look like you’re working hard,” he said with a smile. “Don’t forget to take breaks. Sometimes our minds

need a little rest before they find the answer.”

It was a simple sentence, but it stayed with me.

I thanked him and returned to my table. Instead of feeling defeated, I looked at my problem differently. I

took a short break, came back, and eventually figured it out.

The interesting thing was that the man probably forgot about that conversation within a few minutes. For

him, it was just a small act of kindness. But for me, it became a reminder that even a few words from a

stranger can make a difference.

We often imagine that changing someone’s life requires a huge action. We think we need to do something

extraordinary to matter. But sometimes, the smallest gestures are the ones people remember the most.

Holding a door open, helping someone pick up dropped papers, giving encouragement, or simply asking

someone how they are doing can brighten a person’s day.

In a world where everyone is busy and focused on their own goals, kindness can feel rare. But kindness

does not require money, special skills, or a lot of time. Anyone can practice it.

That day in the library taught me an important lesson: we may never know how much a small action means

to someone else. A few seconds of kindness can become a memory that lasts much longer.

Maybe the next time we have a chance to help someone, we should take it. We might become the stranger

who changes someone’s day.

Why I Recommend Reading The Catcher in the Rye author Jerome David Salinger , article by Kavin Sivakumar

 Why I Recommend Reading The Catcher in the Rye By Jerome David Salinger

by Kavin Sivakumar

The Catcher in the Rye written by Jerome David Salinger is a novel that focuses on the coming of age and the importance of accepting change. Although the story was made in the 1950s the themes that the story covers are still relevant today. The story takes place during the late 1940s, and follows 16 year old Holden Caulfield as he faces the challenges of growing up, and taking on responsibility. I believe that this story will let you see that accepting change is necessary in order to grow as a person, and refusing to accept change will only lead to more problems later on.

One of the main reasons I recommend reading The Catcher in the Rye is because of the characters that are in the story. As I mentioned before, Holden is the main character however, there are many other characters that Holden meets as he goes on his journey through New York. In addition, there are many characters that Holden meets that help him realize that change is important in order to grow up such as his siblings, his teachers, and his roommates. I believe that these characters are important to the story because each character symbolizes something. For example, Holden’s sister, Phoebe, symbolizes innocence that Holden wants to protect. 

Another reason I recommend reading this novel is it illustrates the point that you can’t hold on to innocence forever. The story shows Holden’s attempt to hold on to his innocence, and it explains why it is impossible to hold on to your innocence forever. Also, the story shows how certain people in your life can help you protect your innocence, and this is important because Holden wants to be one of those people that can help protect children’s innocence. I believe this is why he talks and does certain actions when he is in front of his sister, so he can protect her innocence.

The novel is engaging and exciting because the story is well paced, and the way that the story is written makes it interesting to read. For example, the vocabulary that is used by Holden is something most people don’t use. I believe this is what makes the story interesting, and it requires a little more thinking to understand what Holden meant. In addition, the events in this story don’t seem to happen too late or too sudden. I think this makes the book enjoyable to read since the events happen in a timely fashion.

Overall, The Catcher in the Rye is an amazing novel to read if you have some free time or if you are looking for a new book to read. The characters in the story will help keep you invested in the book, and in their lives. The lesson of accepting change can help us see growing up in a different way. Also, the vocabulary that the story uses helps keep us thinking while we read. All of these factors are what make The Catcher in the Rye such an amazing novel to read.

Blink, a poem by Rishi Patil

Blink by Rishi Patil 

You blink for a second

And you’re not a kid anymore

You stay up later

Unlike that little kid you once were

Accidentally falling asleep early on New Year’s Eve

You listen to songs with cuss words

Not Kidz Bop

You’re taller now

You are the same age and height as those kids you thought were cool

When you and your friends went to the park

But you don’t feel cool

You feel stupid

And behind

And that you aren’t like those older kids

Those kids who are probably in good colleges

You like going on walks

And you think more

More than just what’s for breakfast or what’s for dinner

You think about life

All the time

To the point where you wish you would stop

You love talking to your friends

But before doing anything but playing games with them was torture

And you can no longer keep track of time

You still think you’re a little kid

No older then twelve

And still not tall enough to reach the top of the doorframe

But you’re not

Blink again and you’ve graduated

Ready to leave your childhood behind

And do… something

Something you don’t really know

New Leaf, a poem by Rishi Patil

 New Leaf by Rishi Patil

Change

Is Okay

Straying away from your roots is scary

But is that not what ‘your roots’ are in itself?

A jumping off point?

A point made to be branched off from?

Because if you stick to your roots

Never take a risk

Then you’re nothing but a ever-dormant plant

Someone who was too scared to become anything at all

Too nervous to commit to anything just because one door closes when you open another

So don’t be scared to turn a new leaf

Because doing nothing is worse than failing

If you fail you learn

And if you learn you succeed

And you will become a beautiful flower as long as you keep growing

Series of Haiku's by Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannan

Series of Haiku's by  Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannan

Fall

Scarecrows scaring birds

A falling spree of leafage

Harvest starts right now!

Spring

“Chirp, Chirp,” spring is here

Buds blooming, squirrels darting

a Vivaldi art

The Gates Open

“Ring,” time to wake up

Parents dragging kids to school

Summer’s over, “What!”

What is there to complain about? by Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannan

 What is there to complain about? by Sarvessh Senthamarai Kannan

Each creature has its gifts, no doubt.

Animals are built to survive,

With traits that help them stay alive.

Yet every strength has limits too,

Working only when conditions suit.

To truly change, to shift your way,

Takes generations, day by day.

But humans hold a different power—

Our minds can solve within an hour.

In less than time it takes to grow,

We shape new paths and learn to know.

Still, we forget what nature gives,

The simple ways the world still lives.

A blazing day, no cooling air?

Just find a tree—there’s comfort there.

All things carry loss and gain,

A mix of sunshine, joy, and pain.

It’s this balance, strange yet true,

That makes each being something new.

If oceans wished the sky were low,

The forests would have no place to grow.

If the Moon burned bright like the Sun,

The Earth would end—its days undone.

So nature speaks in quiet gifts:

Be glad for what your life uplifts.

For what you have, though small it seems,

May shape another’s hopes and dreams.