WORK BRINGS SOLACE

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam born on 15 October 1931 usually referred to
as Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, is an Indian scientist and administrator. He was born and
raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. Kalam is popularly known as the Missile Man
of Indian for his work on the development of ballistic missile and launch vehicle
technology. Kalam advocated plans to develop India into a developed nation by
2020 in his book India 2020. He has received several prestigious awards, including
the Bharat Ratna, Indias highest civilian honour. Kalam is known for his
motivational speeches and interaction with the student community in India.
Kalam, a man of technology, has spent all his life learning rocketry. As advised by
Wernher Von Braun, Kalam made rocketry his religion. Wernher von Braun was a
scientist, designer, product engineer, administrator and technology manager, all
rolled into one. Kalam was filled with awe at the personality of Von Braun. During
the flight in the Avro aircraft from Chennai to Trivandrum, Kalam had occasion to
observe the qualities of Von Braun. Von Braun asked many questions about the
missile work of Kalam and listened to his replies with rapt attention like a student.
Kalam never expected the father of modern rocketry to be so humble, attentive and
encouraging. Von Braun made Kalam feel comfortable throughout the ninetyminute flight from Chennai to Tumba.
Three deaths in the family depressed Kalam. He lost interest in life. To overcome all
these tragedies he needed total commitment to his SLV work. He also stopped
thinking of his family, relations and friends. Nothing outside the SLV circle ever
came into his mind. He put a hold button on his life outside the circle of SLV. This
shows Kalams single-minded devotion towards his goal.
Individuals like Kalam are called workaholics. Kalam did not like the term
workaholic because it implies an illness. He says that to succeed in our life we
must have single-minded devotion to our goal. Sometimes we work towards that
which we desire more than anything else does in the world. There is no hurry and
no distractions to the workers attention. There would no more difference between
the workers. In addition, the work. The worker would flow into the work. Kalam
and his team experienced his flow.
Kalam says that to succeed in our life we must have single-minded devotion to our
goal. Sometimes we work towards that which we desire more than anything else
does in the world. If we are charged with total commitment to our work, the next
thing we require is good health coupled with boundless energy.

K. BALASHOWRI REDDY, ASST. PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH & MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

Hand Phone; 9440877165 Mail Box: kbaluenglish@gmail.com

SHADOW - R.K NARAYAN

Shadow is a story of a little boy Sambu, a young boy of about 12 or 14 years old,
who lives in a village with his widow mother. He waits eagerly for the screening of
a film, which features his father who is no more. It is a tender and emotional story
where Sambu, demands to see a movie that stars his father. This small boy was very
excited to see his father performance on the screen. He was going to see his father
walking and dancing in front of him as if he was alive. He took permission from his
mother for a daily show.
The scene of the movie is very much like in Sambus home. In the movie, Kumari,
the 14-year-old daughter does not want to marry, but instead wants to study. The
father asks the girl questions about her schoolwork, and is pleased when she gets
them right. The girl was with a slate on her knee and he started dictating to her. He
asked her a little arithmetic to which she accurately answered. Then his father was
delighted. Sambu remembered how he once committed mistake in solving a puzzle.
Actually, Sambu was highly delighted as if his father had come back to life.
Sambhu is trying to feel the presence of his dead father through his performance in
the movie kumara. The shadow of his father makers him happy and feel him his
presence. He keeps his father alive in his memories through his appearance in
movie. He repeatedly asked his mother to see the picture. However, she explained
that she could not tolerate to see her husband again move and speak like alive.
Sambu explained her that a mere photo was also no more different that from film
photo. At last, he takes his mother to the last show. She by recalling those ugly
memories faints, seeing her, Sambu cries, as he loves her much. He was seen as a
small, innocent child who is unaware of the fact that how mother would feel when
she will see her dead husband walking, talking and singing. Sambu very well
portrays the emotions, feelings, innocence and sentiments of any child who is
deprived of his father love.
The story captures with heart-rending accuracy, the joy and pain experience by the
boy and his mother when they saw on the screen a dead man moving and speaking.
Kind X unkind, harsh ,
unfamiliar X familiar, well-known
Empty X full, fill up
Practical X theoretical, impractical,

Strict = Disciplinary, rigorous

Stubborn = determined, strong minded
Sit up = stay up, awake
Irritate = bother, tease

1. Muster courage= resist, cope = He mustered his courage while travelling alone in dark.
2. Hither and thither = in various quarters, here and there = they securied hither and thither to escape
the rain. 3. Heart became heavy = a feeling of being weighed down with sorrow, a sad feeling. We
left the meeting with a heavy heart when we heard that our boss would soon leave the company
because of illness. 4. A sob burst from = cry uncontrollably.
K. BALASHOWRI REDDY, ASST. PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH & MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
Hand Phone; 9440877165 Mail Box: kbaluenglish@gmail.com

5. put out = cause someone trouble or inconvenience : "he was not put out by the rebuff"

K. BALASHOWRI REDDY, ASST. PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH & MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

Hand Phone; 9440877165 Mail Box: kbaluenglish@gmail.com