THE REAL PRIZE

by Chimi
(Thimphu, Bhutan )

I am not an artist, neither am I a wordsmith. What I was, at that point of time, I did not recognize myself, I was recovering from a severe depressive disorder and in between therapy and medicines I was reading books that would give me an understanding of what I was going through.

Well acquiring knowledge on the cause did give me comfort but left me still feeling void. So I looked for books that could change my life. I visualized everyday for such wisdom to fall on me. One day it did, my godfather passed me his book "The Secret" by Rhonda Byre.

Soon after reading this book, I realized I had to prove that the ME still existed. A day after feeling this intense desire to discover myself, that morning's paper announced a nationwide slogan competition by the education ministry. The theme "Thank You Teacher" was to capture the expression of gratitude to our teachers within seven words accompanied by a befitting pictorial representation.

From the moment I saw this announcement I knew it instantly "This was IT". Everything felt so good. I drew seven large squares, thought about my favourite teacher. The one word that described my teacher just popped in my mind. Next day I met in our town's clock tower square, my artist friend I had not met for three years. I talked about my slogan concept, the next thing he had sketched it on his book. It all fell all in place, just like the pieces of a jig saw puzzle.

When I submitted the slogan and the art work to the registration desk at the ministry of education, my entry was one among 800 plus.

After two weeks, the results were announced.

The slogan: "You were the BRIDGE to my dreams" bagged the first prize.

For me the prize money was not the prize. The Prize was knowing I had already won before I began.