Down Memory Lane

 Down Memory Lane.

-Dr Tripti Milind Galgali
Hubli.

I attended my son's graduation Convocation ceremony.
My son graduated in the medical college, my husband Dr Milind is Alumnii.
The Chief Guest invited for the Convocation was Alumnii of the same college.
The Principal of the Medical college too was Alumnii of the college.
All of them went Down Memory Lane reminiscing those days of being a student.

Revisiting your School and College sends you back to your days of Childhood.
Down Memory Lane.
Surge of emotions  .....gush of Memory......

The journey towards Alma Mater brings in excitement and memories of the travel days to and fro.
The moment we enter into the Campus,the first step itself reminds of the first day of joining....A young self full of excitement and Apprehension both emotions at the same time on starting a new journey of Adulthood,Professional career and responsibilities of life.
The Administrative Block where first day admission procedures were completed and last day,frenzy paperwork for Graduation completion certificate....The eyes search for that Office Staff who were seen and strict on Day 1...but as years passed became friendly and concerned....
The walk along the different Departments see some familiar faces which were young then...but turned gray with passing years today.
The Classrooms and Lecture Halls are today with no Black boards.There now is a screen for power point presentation. Standing at the last row....sitting on the last bench....I can see my young self sitting in one row jotting down attending an interesting lecture from my Favorite Professor or trying very hard not to doze off that post lunch boring seminar.


The Dissection hall in 1st year MBBS, where all students trooped over each other glancing on the Dissection and continuous explanation by our favorite Anatomy Professor.
The Corridors in front of Examination Hall where we spent many a tensed moments with last minute revision.
The Library which we went only before exams trying to complete the vast portion, cramming up,memorizing .....
The Library during summers as it had the Cooler to beat the heat....
The Library for those stolen glances....
The Wards listening to Clinics,and attentively observing our Professor taking history from patients, eliciting clinic signs....discussing case and treatment.....
Those night duties, Emmergency, arguments with Sister,Colleagues....
That gush of emotions performing First Resuscitation on Cardiac Arrest and saving a life....The first remorse on losing a life.....
The excitement of conducting a Delivery and bringing into world a new life....or performing first procedure.
Slowly reality seeps in between...lot of water has flown above by now.....we have come a long way of hard work and lots of learning.

Then,when that  Small Canteen gets noticed....drinking cups of sweet Tea sharing animated discussion with friends. ....Again sends us back to Down Memory Lane.

The Hostel rooms ,Mess.....
The days of ragging,
The moments with friends...most vulnerable moments of our life shared with batchmates.
The fights between 2 groups.....
The lousy mess food.....
The Nights full of Party,Music,Laughter....and endless coffee ,Maggi,and Gossip.
The Exam Hysteria....Stress and Apprehension.....
The celebration after each exam.....
After one roams around the Campus trying to locate the old sitouts and hideouts
The evening of the Reunion with Staff and Friends in the College Auditorium.....reminds of those student fests,Dance,Drama,Sargam Songs....the Hooting and Screaming.....the nights of practice, organizing the show and rehearsals and Props.....
All feels as if all this happened just yesterday....

Years have passed since bidding Adieu to Alma Mater.
Lot has changed- in myself and my Alma Mater.
New faces,New buildings, A Face-lift to my Alma Mater and me.
The Alma Mater searches in me a familiar face....and I am searching an old face in the now changed Alma Mater.
All new ....All different......
Everything has changed.....
But somewhere there is still something Familiar and unchanged.....in both my Alma Mater and me.
My excitement and enthusiasm is amusing my spouse and kids.A very different person seems to have come alive.....unfamiliar to them.....but very familiar to my Alma Mater and my friends.

Reunions with friends at some Resort does bring fun moments.....
But a Revisit to Alma Mater....after a year or even 50 years......brings memories fresh as if the day one of stepping into its gates......
All Memory Down Lane starts dancing in front of eyes...a picture so livid....filled with cherished moments.
Today,I may have added degrees, qualifications to my name,acquired certain position and power in Society...
The revisit to my Alma Mater and Reunion with my buddies,brings back my old  self alive....whom I had forgotten after entering into life's rat race.Suddenly I become that person in the year of joining my Alma Mater.
My forgotten passions lost amongst life's challenges and struggles got remembered and rekindled.
Down Memory Lane experiences change with Each batch .....
The Faces become New....but the memories remain same for all....
Generations may change....
Years may pass.....
Memory may fade.....
But Down Memory Lane.....remains Fresh...with cherished moments etched in Memory Forever.