Wisdom Of The Age

Hi friends, how are you. As a student of class XI, I would like to share my thoughts with you all. One day, we had gone for a picnic from the school. We all were enjoying in small groups and sharing our experience with the new Engineering drawing teacher.

Our new Engineering drawing teacher had resigned from another school and had joined our school. One day I asked him Sir, why you resign from the previous school. He, Mr. Dalip Sir, looked at me and then told; it was very far away from home. So I thought that if the school was in the vicinity of my home, then the travel time will be reduced and I would be able to spend more time with my child. You are grownup like my son who is studying in class IX.

Sir If you do not mind, may I ask one thing, I very hesitantly asked.

Yes, sure, Dalip Sir said.

You shall be teaching us engineering drawing.

Yes, that's my subject.

I said, sir, I am not saying that. Last week, I met one of my friends of class IX. He resides near my uncle’s house; of course, he is not a student of our school. He was discussing and asking my opinion about what subjects, he should opt for class XI and XII. Sir, I told him I have taken science stream along with engineering drawing. He can also take the same.  

So, what is the issue?

Sir, he asked me a simple question, for which I had no answer, I want to know...sir,

Yes, what’s the question?

Sir, he asked me what’s the difference between Engineering drawing and drawing?

That’s Ok, Sir, but Sir, he wanted to know the difference between the Engineering drawing and  commonly known drawing for example painting, etc. we do. For example, like creating a picture of bird on a tree, a dog without a rope guarding the master’s house and a father or mother holding the little fingers and helping the child to learn walking and of course, designing a machine.

Dilip Sir was saying, you know to design a machine, you have to see how and what will be its length, breadth and height. You need to know about the function it is going to perform. You know it’s an art of perfection to be achieved with the help of instruments. However, in the case of drawing of pictures, sketch, scenic beauty and making of earthen pots or statues of different objects, birds, animals, insects including human beings and what not, the different kind of material is used. Then for coloring your imaginative sketch, you need different type of coloring materials. You understand what you need is basically imagination and….

And what sir,…..

Look there is whistle, it’s already 5.00 p.m., we have to leave for school, and students are going towards school bus.

Leaving the discussion and my quest, I also started walking towards the bus.

I do not know why it seemed that the answer to my question is still incomplete. I thought I will ask Papa when he comes home at night.

Papa, I am bit confused, Please help me to understand one thing, what is the difference between engineering drawing and ordinary drawing?

Papa started to rage. Don’t you have any other work? Read and study mathematics. This question will not help you in chemistry or your examination. Are you thinking of becoming a philosopher? Foolish. Go away, please let me work, I have brought home lots of official work which I have to complete.

I did not get the answer to my question.

I was thinking to whom I should talk to about this issue…

I did not expect much from my Mother. Suddenly a ray of hope flashed, why not ask my grandmother !.

I don’t know, how this idea came, but I was hopeful of some clue.

I went to Grandma and after wishing her, I straightway asked her to resolve my curiosity.

I was stunned to hear, she was saying “You know, my son, for living safely in a house, it is important to have earthquake resistant building structure and for that it is important to have a good site plan map made by a qualified civil engineer. In our days, civil engineer used to put all his wisdom with measured lines on a white paper with black pencil, what you now call it as a branch of engineering as Civil Engineering and that act of Civil Engineer on piece of white paper with measured lines and design is called, engineering drawing. Is that clear…!

I was looking at old face with multiple lines and narrowing eyes which asked me this question, I had no other reply, except saying, yes.

However, she was continuing…. now when the question of beautification of the exterior of the building or any object is concerned, the role of heart and soul of the individual who is God gifted with Artistic-pulses of heart and soul comes in, with which a potter can turn clay into a pot, artist with his colour senses may be able to paint a beach or sea or rising tides on a piece of white paper. You understand my son, this expression of heartfelt imagination and its beautification is also one of the acts of Drawing, for which no certified technical educational degree is required, but this Artist will not be able to design earthquake resistant Map. So Engineering drawing and Artistic drawing are both two faces of the life without which one is left with a deep dark hole in life.

I was moving out from the vicinity of my grandma but was able to feel the beautiful glow on her face which was the combined act of God’s engineering drawing…multiple lines, commonly known as wrinkles on her face and the wisdom of heart beautified by her love for artistic drawing of life during her sojourn.