कलमदान

I can remember when I was a child in grade school, my parents would attend the PTA meetings. I stayed at home shaking in my boots, fearful of what my teachers had to say about me. I don't know why. Most of the time when they returned home, my father would say,  "I asked how you were doing in class . She said  'Bob's a charmer.'"  I'd smile and sigh with relief. "You're quite a character, Bob,"  my mother would tell me. So, for most of my life I thought being a character was the most important thing.   Then one day when I had been much too long in adulthood, I heard someone talk about my reputation. It wasn't very flattering. Most likely truthful to some extent, but not something I'd want my parents to hear at PTA. Being a charmer doesn't always work for good. I also discovered that being a character isn't as good as having character. Being a character is like being a clown, an actor of sorts. Having character invol...