Each day when I reach my home in the evening exhausted, I see my younger brother scribbling his assignments with the sign of boredom in his face. I would question myself, “Is he really doing it with interest or the fear of scolding making him do it?”
He makes me wander into my own past where I see myself with pen in my hand and series of math problems to be solved. A single question would make me yawn. But the fear of teacher’s punishment would make me leave my evening meal, my favorite TV show and forget the sleep. Nothing has changed. However, my old rocky chair and dusty table is occupied by my brother.
My mother, who has never been to school, thinks that being confined within the rectangular frame of the book is all what learning means. For her, my brother needs to secure the first position in the school to justify the effort that my father has put in to cover his school fees.
My father though knows the wider perspectives of learning cannot give much time to encourage me and my brother to explore the opportunities that lie in the outer world.
A thought resonates in my mind, “I am the one who should make my brother realize where his passion lies and what interests him.” Is it my mother’s ignorance or father’s busy schedule encouraging me to help my brother break the boundaries? No, it’s my own experience.
In my school days, I was one of the brightest students in the class but when I stepped into high school, the course and the curriculum didn’t interest me much. I don’t mean that I was being careless and completely ignored my studies but I started to get involved in different activities. Among them, photography was the most intriguing one. I am not portraying myself as a professional or a very good photographer, but the satisfaction I get when working with a camera is priceless.
I was first introduced with a DSLR camera when I was in Grade 9 but I started to learn using it only in my high school. I still don’t have my own camera but I have some good friends and brothers who have provided me theirs when I need it.
Exploring the streets of Basantapur, Bhaktapur and Patan, I would find the scenes and faces that would captivate me. At first, I would just click random photos but day by day, I learned the art to make them fine and perfect. When we were on a tour from a college to Ghandruk, the viewfinder of the camera I had was always ready to capture the panoramic Annapurna Range. Be it a helpless child in Lahan or a priest offering Aarati in Pashupatinath, I started finding unique subjects for myself.
I feel lucky to join the Glocal family, where I found my photography mentor and a platform to experiment my skills. The company trusted an amateur photographer like me to click the photos in different events organized by it. Moreover, I could showcase my talent in international events like Empowerment Works and Glocal International Teen Conference. Not only the events helped me gain confidence but I could establish myself to work regularly on the days later.
I have a lot of things to learn and explore. In this few years, I have been dedicated towards my interests and grabbed every opportunity. I cannot predict where I will end up but I have found my passion. Photography has taken me to wonderful platforms where I have met and established a good relation with numerous renowned personalities.
I can recall my parents wanting me to focus on my studies rather than the activities. But it is my responsibility to change their mindset. I am confident that whenever they will go through the collection of photos that I have, they will be proud of my work. Additionally, now I have to act wisely to justify the thought resonating in my mind, “to help my brother find his interests.”
By: Gokul Joshi
