[My View - 007] Why do kids fail to achieve their dreams?

You would have probably heard a toddler, or a five-year old once say 'I want to be an astronaut when I grow up', or 'I want to be a doctor when I grow up'. While some children take this to heart, some just say it for fun, and they change their mind over the next couple of years. From the point where a child has decided their future career/s or the stream/s they will pursue, they would have started to work hard to achieve their goal. But not everyone wanting to study at the University of Oxford would really get an offer, would they? And this is where the question sparks to mind.. Why do most children fail to achieve their dreams?

One of the main reasons children fail to achieve their dreams is over-ambition. While some children step into the reality, and understand how much effort, and hard work it would take to reach their goal, some remain in their fictional and magical world, where they think that everything will happen no matter what happens. This is where most students fail - not having a realistic goal. Being ambitious is wonderful, and planning for your future is even better. But when students get over ambitious, that is where the problem starts. Students begin to have high expectations of themselves and expect everything to go to plan. To set a goal, one must first know their real self; their strengths and their weaknesses. Without knowing these, planning your future career is like doing surgery without knowing which areas to incise.

Another fundamental factor that contributes to children failing to achieve their dreams is the 'DREAMING'. If one is aiming to become an astronaut, but comes home from school everyday and watches TV, they would really need to start rethinking their future. Some children 'dream' of getting into an elite, top private school, but take no action on it. Dreaming, and imagining yourself in a business suit in your office in 20 years feels wonderful, and is wonderful. But alongside dreaming, we also must take some action.

Another reason children don't achieve their goals is giving up. Life is never easy, even for the smartest intellectuals on Earth. As people say, 'Life is a roller coaster; there are ups and downs'. When life gets harder, people usually give up, especially children. But the ones who push themselves through the hardest obstacles are the successful people. Due to this, children, in the middle of their up-scaling progress, tend to drop the ball, and give up. In education, it's not only the accuracy, but the consistency also matters.

Another factor that contributes to a child's failure of not achieving their goals is low confidence. This is partly related to the previous factor (giving up when life gets harder). When things get harder, and start to fall out of our hands, we start to lose our confidence. As one's confidence falters, the ambition and commitment to achieve their goal is slowly fading away and is lost. It is indeed very hard to boost your confidence through tough times, but that is the job of a committed student. Commitment and consistency are the keys that open the door to the pathway leading to success.

So, in summary, alongside the fact that inconsistent grades, no determination, and ineffective study methods lead to academic failures and the failure to achieve your dreams, there are many other factors that contribute to this, like over- ambition, low confidence and many more listed in the above paragraphs. It is very important to consider these factors before considering your or your child's future. Because, if tomorrow is not planned well, the day after that will automatically become worse. And that applies to anyone's future...'

Thank you for reading

[My View - 006] Are hot dogs considered a sandwich?

Once, I was munching on a hot dog, and a question sparked to mind. Is this a sandwich, a wrap, a sub or a baguette? Never had I ever thought of such a question... Thinking logically, a hot dog is a sausage placed in between a curved bun. Whereas, on the other hand, a sandwich is a filling or meat placed in between two slices of bread. A wrap is a flatbread rolled around a meat filling or just an ordinary vegetarian filling. And lastly a baguette is a filling sandwiched in between two slices of French Bread. So which one of these does a hot dog come under?

I personally believe that a hot dog should be considered a blend of a wrap and a baguette..A wrap, as mentioned previously is a flatbread rolled around a filling, while a baguette is a filling sandwiched in between two slices of French Bread. And a hot dog is a filling (sausage) placed in between a curved bun. I say it is partly a wrap, because of the fact that half of its surface area is covered by a flatbread - bun in a hot dog. And I consider it a part baguette, because of the fact that the bun is quite thick, like a baguette's bread, and is quite long. However, people have different opinions on this.

Some argue that a hot dog is a sandwich, because it is a filling placed 'between' two slices of bread/a bun. However I disagree with this. Two slices of bread is different from a curved bun. Also a sandwich is cut into squares or triangles, but a hot dog is simply just a curved sausage placed in a curved bun. Therefore, a sandwich is absolutely not a wrap. Also, if a hot dog were to be considered a sandwich, you'd be able to say 'I am so hot dogged!', instead of 'I am so sandwiched' While some think a hot dog is a sandwich, some also think it can be a roll, or a wrap.. Because of the fact that the bun is 'rolled' around a sausage. But this is entirely untrue, because the sausage is not being wrapped/rolled by the bun, but instead it is being placed between the sides of the curved bun.

Can you notice the minor differences between these foods, and how it leads to people forming different opinions? I think that a hot dog is a blend between a wrap and a baguette, as mentioned in one of the previous paragraphs. And after all, it is simply just the way that the bread is positioned, that differentiates all of these food items. So, to answer this question, I 'don't' think a hot dog should be considered a sandwich...

[Book - 005] The Railway Children by E.Nesbit, — Summary & Review

Summary:

The Railway Children is a book authored by E.Nesbit, narrating the adventures of three children, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis. One night, when the three children were getting ready for their bedtime, someone had unexpectedly knocked on their door, and the parents had opened it to witness something terrible. And on that day everyone's lives had changed. Their dad (called Daddy in the book) was no more seen, and no one had known the reason for his disappearance except the mum (called Mother in the book) who returned back into the house with a pale, terrified face. When Mother and the three children get separated from Daddy, and move to Yorkshire, the Railway Station, located in Yorkshire, becomes their second home. While the adventurous children enjoy their time at Yorkshire, their Mother has a constant worry at the back of her mind about her husband.

Mother was a very cheerful person, but when a segment of her heart had faded away, it was hard to be the same person again. Bobbie, the oldest out of the three, could perceive Mother's feelings and did as much as she could to help her. Although Bobbie had not known the reason why Daddy had disappeared that night, she would always be so compassionate and sympathetic to Mother. Meanwhile the other two remained optimistic about Daddy's arrival soon. So the three children began to embark on their adventures, while Mother would write poetry and sometimes recite poems to the children. Life in Yorkshire was different, but they all had adjusted to it quite quickly. When the Railway Station was first discovered by the three children, they were amazed, especially Peter who was a train lover.

As time in Yorkshire passed, the children met many people at the Railway Station, such as The Station Master, Perks the Porter, and the old gentleman. These three people were lovely to the children. IN one of their first adventures, Peter decides to steal the coal from the Railway Station. And when he gets caught by The Station Master, and also when he first sees the Station Master, he gets reprimanded by him for what he has done. But the next day the Station Master would act as if nothing had happened. Perks the Porter was a very kind gentleman. In one of the children's first adventures with Perks, he constantly talks about trains and engines which had always engaged the children in their conversations. Lastly, the old gentleman. Everyday, when the children would see the trains passing by, the old gentleman would wave at them and whenever the four of them met, they would have such jolly conversations.

Time had passed by and the children had a great time in Yorkshire, when one day came and Bobbie had felt an arrow of shock and misery penetrating through her heart. It was a fine day. Bobbie and Peter were fighting over a rake in the garden. It started with a 'normal argument' two siblings would have, but then it became physical and after some shoves and screams, the rake went through Peter's foot, which caused it to bleed. Mother Bobbie had apologized to Peter, for what she had done, and decided to grab some newspapers for Peter to read, who had been lying on a bed and was feeling quite bored. So when Bobbie headed to Mr Perks house, and she grabbed the pile of newspapers, she read the headlines. And the reason why Daddy had disappeared that night had been revealed to her. She found out that her Dad had been imprisoned and been held guilty. But the loyal daughter, Bobbie, knew that her father would not do such a thing, and she was still optimistic that he would return. Bobbie had tried to hide her worry from her two siblings who had been oblivious to this, and almost forgot that Father even existed, but only until...

After a couple of weeks, the three children go to the Railway Station, as usual. But this time, the three of them feel quite weird, and Bobbie's sixth sense had told her that something was going to happen. When the old gentleman gets off the train, and steps onto the platform, he goes around to everyone showing them a newspaper and whispering some words to them. Some people responded with a happy smile, while some responded with a grumpy approval... And when the next train arrives, three people come out of the train - the grocer, a resident of Yorkshire, and before I can tell you who this person is, Bobbie was running and screaming in happiness out loud, 'Daddy! Daddy!'...

Review:

'When three children get separated from their father, the tables have turned around. Their new life had begun in Yorkshire, the Railway Station being their second home. The Railway Children, authored by E.Nesbit is more of a life guide than an ordinary tale. Every page teaches you a small life lesson, while every word brings happiness to mind. As E.Nesbit authors this book, she narrates the adventures of three children, Roberta, Phyllis and Peter. Some books, like 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carol' is a collection of Alice's adventures, and the book narrates her journey through different worlds meeting new people. However, The Railway Children is more than a collection of three children's adventures. This book has a plot that engages the reader. And there are many sad moments throughout the book.

As the three children move to Yorkshire, and begin to settle in their new home, they all begin to experience a mix of emotions. Sometimes they are all having a jolly good time with each other, while sometimes they start to worry and ponder upon the sudden and unexpected disappearance of their father. The three children remain in a state of oblivion to why and how their father disappeared throughout the entire book, except when Bobbie (Roberta) finds out about it in the middle of the book. Keeping the three children aside, their mother (called Mother in the book)knew everything about it, and had to hide it from the children. Despite being a very cheerful and helpful mum, she would always have the constant worry at the back of her mind, about her husband.

The Railway Children has many happy and sad moments. For example, when she finds out about her dad's imprisonment, she first sinks into despair, and feels miserable. However, after a while, she feels optimistic that her dad did not deserve to be held guilty. In life too, optimism always takes over despair. Although it might seem like a cliche, it is very much indeed true, both in fictional books and real life.

I personally think that everyone, of all ages, should read The Railway Children, as the book is all about how a family deals with a tough situation. I also believe that this book emphasizes a tinge of women empowerment, because Mother is the one who manages to take care of her three children, while still hiding her anxiety and thoughts about her husband's imprisonment. In summary, The Railway Children is a great book, teaching many lessons that everyone must learn...'

[My View - 005] Why do people wear clothes except to protect themselves from weather conditions?

Clothing has evolved over many centuries, from tunics and loincloths made from animal hides in 4000 BC to jeans and crop tops in 2026. Clothes are worn for numerous reasons, around the world, each country having a different style. Today, we will be discussing the different factors that contribute to clothing, and their significance in the modern world...

Cultural acts and societies are shaping our world everyday, through food, traditions and clothes. Clothes can be a representation of one's culture. In India, saris are worn by women for festivals and celebrations. In Scotland, traditional clothes include kilts, which in some areas of the world, are still worn today. Clothes as a representation of culture is quite significant. Alongside our personalities and characteristics, our culture differentiates each one of us, and makes everyone unique. One of the components that define culture is clothes. Picture a world with every person wearing the same clothes. Although we all might have different thoughts and personalities, our culture would be left alone and forgotten. Cultural acts and societies are shaping our world everyday, through food, traditions and clothes.

Delving deeper into why garments are worn, many reasons lie behind this notion of wearing clothes. When humans realized that garments and clothing had to be worn, about 80,000 years ago, they understood that not only for protection from weather, but that clothes had to be worn to protect one's genitals (private parts).This would have been considered due to many reasons. People would have considered the fact that private parts in both men and women must be treated with utmost hygiene. So therefore, they had to be covered with garments. Another reason they would have considered is culture. When culture had divided the world into different segments, people would have realized that their way of clothing had not satisfied their culture's rules or laws. Even now, in many parts of the world, for instance; Afghanistan, clothing is quite strict, enforcing all women to be covered, head to foot, including the face and mouth .Although this rule does not link to the fact of private parts it revolves around the notion of covering our bodies.

Lastly, I have discovered another reason why people wear clothes. People (especially teens) are not being exposed to the outside world nowadays. Glued to devices ; e.g. texting, video games, social media, children and teenagers are not stepping into the outside world as much. But the moment people step out of their comfort zone, they start to feel a bit insecure. Questions like 'Will my friend make fun of me if she sees my legs?', or 'I think I should stop wearing half - sleeved shirts' start to enter one's mind. Due to this insecurity, people cover themselves with clothes from top to bottom, to cover parts of their body from their peers. Insecurity can affect one's well being, mental health and confidence. Clothes are to represent you as a person. Due to insecurity, people are changing the way they are being represented to the outside world. In conclusion I believe that clothes are worn for several reasons, but mainly to represent us as who we are, through culture, personality and tradition. A popular quote by Rachel Zoe is 'STYLE IS A WAY TO SAY WHO YOU ARE WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEAK'. This quote emphasizes the fact that style, fashion or clothing are mirrors that reflect ourselves onto the outside world. People must not feel insecure about the way they look. Clothes must boost one's confidence about themselves. Clothes must be worn everyday, reminding everyone of who they actually are.

Thank you for reading,

Jodha Kondapalli

[My View - 004] Should distributing AI generated images on social media without consent be encouraged or not ?

Social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok, are evolving every day. The way they are being used and the impact they lay on its users is changing as well. Social media platforms are both a place to engage with others and keep yourself updated with current affairs, and a toxic internet world. Most of the posts consist of images, some created by AI, to easily articulate the intention of the reader. Study shows that 85% of the AI - generated images are used for entertainment and engagement, while only 12% are used for educational purposes. Many people usually comprehend this as a rhetoric - '' The usage by children and teenagers of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence is gradually increasing''. However, I will be explaining the positive and negative impacts it lays on users.

AI can be used for work, or educational purposes. Let's say you were dreaming of a blueprint to present to your team at work. You could use AI, describe the features of your property, and in less than 10 seconds you would be ready with a neat blueprint. AI can draw your thoughts out loud. However imagine yourself, trying to draw that blueprint - it would probably take around 10 days. Well, that was what AI was created for in the first place - to assist people in their day to day situations. Not only artistic skills, but AI also has many other features. Another example of using AI is - schoolwork. Let's say you were asked to create a poster on global warming at school. But you had no idea what it was meant to look like. Asking AI for some sample posters would be a great idea, to start off with. So AI CAN be used for useful purposes. However in our world now, that is not how people are perceiving AI.

The exploitation of AI leads people to fall down into sinkholes - being cyberbullied and being the victims themselves. Nowadays, even if young, innocent children are not comfortable with posting images of others without consent, they are being pressured by their peers to act out such a thing. For some friend groups, instead of a friendly and happy atmosphere, clouds of filthy attitude and decayed friendships hang above their heads. AI can be used in any way, any time and by any person to do anything. For instance, if I were to grab my phone out of my pocket, go to Google and to Chatgpt, and ask it to generate a picture of a monkey standing beside Donald Trump, without any questions, it would generate a picture of him and the monkey in less than 15 seconds. To school children and teenagers, they might have a little laugh over it and find it humorous. However, when that image is posted onto social media, it's like a drop of poison falling onto your tongue. Every social media user gets a notification, and the comment sections would be bombarde with a numerous amount of messages. And none of those messages revolve around the humour and comedy of creating this image, but filthy comments on Donald Trump, which might not even be true. Now, while all of this is going on, Trump has no idea about this, until it spreads around the internet and finally, one pleasant morning, he gets a notification on his phone. The notion of distributing AI images on social media platforms without consent must not even step into the mind of a social media user. To join a friend group, you have to be cool, otherwise people might not ACCEPT you into their group. It's a bit like a permission letter to enter a group. Peer Pressure is seen in many teens nowadays. Peer pressure makes one fit in, and be forced into doing something they are uncomfortable with.

In conclusion, despite the fact that AI can be used for educational purposes, I personally believe that AI can also be a toxic assistant. AI doesn't have the ability to differentiate from good and bad. Otherwise, we wouldn't need humans on this planet. AI gives us a solution to our problem, and it is our job to determine if it is suitable and appropriate or not. Considering the fact that teenagers blindly copy and paste the AI generated image onto Social Media platforms is quite concerning, because if that was the case, we would not need humans using social media platforms. So, in my view, I think teenagers and AI and Social Media users must think about what they are doing before they do anything. The world of the internet is vast. The past can be deleted but the future can not. So let's change the future right now, ensuring it doesn't get wiped away before we even get to it.

[My View - 003] Should the POWER be with the Ruling Institutes or the Religious Institutes?

Brief Summary of Thomas Becket's Story

When Henry revamped the court system in England in the late 12th century, he appointed Thomas Becket as the new Archbishop of Canterbury in 1161. As their relationship grew over time, Henry II also appointed Becket as his Chancellor. However, later in 1162, Thomas Becket resigned from his position as Chancellor due to prioritizing the power of the church over his relationship with Henry. As the relations between the two deteriorated in 1164, Henry created a new set of laws called the Constitutions of Clarendon, increasing the power of the king's courts and decreasing the power of the Church Courts. Becket, who only considered his personal strength and influence on the Church, refused these laws. Disobeying the King's orders, resulted in Becket being put on trial. Becket feared for his safety and fled to France. Meanwhile in England, Henry II, was concerned about his succession. Although he had planned to crown Becket as the next king, he had already been greatly angered at him, so that would not be the best option. So Henry crowned his son, Henry III, as king, in a coronation performed by the Archbishop of York. This enraged Becket, as coronations were traditionally performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, which was still his role despite living in France. Soon after, Becket appealed to the Pope, who helped sort Henry's and Becket's differences out. So this led to Becket returning back to England. However, he still did not patch things up. He continued to have a grudge against Henry; for example, he excommunicated all of the bishops involved in Henry III's coronation. This enraged Henry II, and he spit out some wicked words ; 'WHO WILL RID ME OF THIS TURBULENT PRIEST?'. His knights perceived his anger and rode to Canterbury Cathedral, murdering Becket. However, three years after Becket died, in 1173, Alexander Pope III made him a saint, acknowledging his significance as an Archbishop. As an act of remorse, Henry II walked barefoot from London to Canterbury Cathedral, and allowed the monks to whip him. After all, this story of Henry II and Thomas Becket comes down to a struggle for power. Now let us picture the same story, but in 2026, considering the developments and changes over time in England.

Should the POWER be with the Ruling Institutes or the Religious Institutes?

When Henry revamped the court system in England in the late 12th century, he appointed Thomas Becket as the new Archbishop of Canterbury in 1161. As their relationship grew over time, Henry II also appointed Becket as his Chancellor. However, later in 1162, Thomas Becket resigned from his position as Chancellor due to prioritizing the power of the church over his relationship with Henry. As the relations between the two deteriorated in 1164, Henry created a new set of laws called the Constitutions of Clarendon, increasing the power of the king's courts and decreasing the power of the Church Courts. Becket, who only considered his personal strength and influence on the Church, refused these laws. Disobeying the King's orders, resulted in Becket being put on trial. Becket feared for his safety and fled to France. Meanwhile in England, Henry II, was concerned about his succession. Although he had planned to crown Becket as the next king, he had already been greatly angered at him, so that would not be the best option. So Henry crowned his son, Henry III, as king, in a coronation performed by the Archbishop of York. This

enraged Becket, as coronations were traditionally performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, which was still his role despite living in France. Soon after, Becket appealed to the Pope, who helped sort Henry's and Becket's differences out. So this led to Becket returning back to England. However, he still did not patch things up. He continued to have a grudge against Henry; for example, he excommunicated all of the bishops involved in Henry III's coronation. This enraged Henry II, and he spit out some wicked words ; 'WHO WILL RID ME OF THIS TURBULENT PRIEST?'. His knights perceived his anger and rode to Canterbury Cathedral, murdering Becket. However, three years after Becket died, in 1173, Alexander Pope III made him a saint, acknowledging his significance as an Archbishop. As an act of remorse, Henry II walked barefoot from London to Canterbury Cathedral, and allowed the monks to whip him. After all, this story of Henry II and Thomas Becket comes down to a struggle for power. Now let us picture the same story, but in 2026, considering the developments and changes over time in England.

Pushing us through the barriers that stop us from pursuing our dreams, power. Power can shape you and your mind. Power is the key that opens the chest of answers to all questions. But, today we will be discussing, ''Should power be with the ruling institutions or the religious institutions?''. This question is still being debated over in political society. While some people state that the ruling institutions shape our country, others state that religious institutes keep the traditions alive. Many factors contribute to the ruling institutions holding power. Firstly, the ruling institutions provide stability for our country. Controlling our country, the government is shaping every day, to what it is now. The ruling institutions focus on the stability of our country. Our government holds the responsibility to halt our country from faltering, ensuring England to have a bright future. The government also focuses on equality and human rights. The government or the ruling institutes holding utmost power would be beneficial for our country, focusing on the development of our country and improvising them every day. Secularity revolves around the concept of development and human rights. Now we shall move on to the religious institutes holding utmost power and what impact it lays on our country.

Religious institutions provide people with moral support. When we encounter hardships during life, faith in a divine being can soothe our souls, making us forget the unfortunate times, and spend some quality time with God, communicating with Him/Her. Worshippers often feel secure when around the divine force of God. Religious institutions don't only provide moral support, but also allow people to communicate with God and feel optimistic during hard times. Unlike religious institutions, religious institutions holding utmost power would be beneficial for the people, but not for the development of England. Now, let us move on to my personal opinion on this, regarding which institutions out of these two, should hold power.

I personally believe that the ruling institutions should hold utmost power. Although religious institutions are quite significant for our country. Even without religious, moral advice, many people are managing their problems. Ruling institutions holding utmost power is quite beneficial for our country too, providing sustainable development ideas, and the notion of providing stability for our country. This debate has been argued over since years, and no one has ever come to a conclusion yet. However I personally think that whichever institution people believe must hold utmost power, the two institutions must never merge. If they merge, politicians and people in the ruling institutions allow their faiths and beliefs to guide them through their political decisions, which contradicts with the purpose of Law and Politics (taking decisions based on facts and evidence, not on opinions and emotions which have a high chance to change in the future). With the ruling institutions holding utmost power, there is certainty that England will have a bright and sparkly future.

Jodha Kondapalli

[My View - 002] A Drunkard’s Moral Failure: A Social Perspective

A water droplet on a heap of sand in a desert—that is the significance of a drunkard. Bitter weeds sprout out from a drunkard’s heart, while sweet blossoms sprout from ours. Drunkards are like wilting flowers. There is no way they can return to their beautiful postures unless they are watered and faced toward the sun, and the potion that heals the flower’s crookedness is a drop of love.

When happiness and delight spark through the drunkard’s heart, his peers, neighbours, and colleagues are profoundly impacted. Oblivion towards others can be quite concerning. In this case, the drunkard is oblivious to and unaware of his peers’ reactions. Ignorant of his surroundings, he cannot perceive the misery that is penetrating his peers’ hearts. Misery is intangible and abstract. It does not always unfold from someone in the form of tears.

As the drunkard’s morale fails, members of his local community are profoundly impacted. While most physical diseases or issues have a cure, depression has only one cure, and that is none other than love. Love can be shown between any group of people. Day by day, people are forgetting the beauty of love and the abstract art behind it. However, love is like a medicine. Although love is the glue that connects people, it is also the blade that can separate them.

People like drunkards teach us lessons of how not to treat others. They also make people more aware of their peers. This is our chance. Let us change our world. Small acts of kindness can result in big changes in our world. If we do not change now, we will never change forever. Let kindness and compassion unfold from our hearts. Let our minds and souls glow with a sense of positivity. Let the world change from an arid desert to a tropical island.

As the Earth revolves, we are changing and making every country glow. With our magical kindness potions, let us change the drunkards. It is our world, our people, and our responsibility to change them. This Christmas, we are lighting candles in every country around the world. As kindness ignites through the candles, we are changing our world, our people, and ourselves.