What Model parliament did for me..........

I remember feelin very very weird the first time I entered the Mini Hall at YMCA. It was one year ago. The past 5 years I've had to get accustomed to new situations and new groups, I've had no problems as such. Though there were some tussles at Womens College because I was forced to study something that I did not like. I felt intimidated by the boys'n gals there. There was nothing peculiar about them......its just that I have always been uncomfortable in groups. One friend at a time was always my norm. I went for 2 sessions there, decided I was not fit for that organisation and stopped going. One year later after I said gudbye to Womens and joined Institute I found a Uni-yian there, none other than Devu. I kept askin her about Uni-y, there was this great urge to try my hand at socialising once more but some apprehensions held me back. I was not sure whether I will be received cordially. One day Devu asked me to come (atlast it happened!). The Model Parliament is goin to take place,she says. At that moment I made up my mind to go (Bless That Moment!). So with quivering knees I finally make my entry one saturday. First day went uneventfully without anyone taking particular notice of me since all of them were busy with the practice sessions. In the course of time I started making friends there(which I thought was impossible) . Not only that, opportunities to broaden my horizon of thought (to use the cliche) were thrown at me. I just had to make a good catch. And today, one day after the Model Lok Sabha 2008, I have no regrets (even though some scufles at uni-y did depress me momentarily) . It was such a grant experience. This event is definitely a turnin point in my life coz it made me do stuf which till then I had assumed to be impossible. For the first time in my life I actually Have this sense of satisfaction, this sense of jibilation of achievin somethin. Not coz I got any award or anythin.......there were speakers much much better than me....the fact is I was able to make myself heard in the midst of such a competent group! and that is the best part of Model Parliament..... it helped to regain the self esteem that I had lost a long time ago. I hope to keep it with me for the rest of my life!!!!!!!!