Excerpt

A Twitter Conversation with God

 Purpose of the Module: The objective is to acquaint the students about the pros and cons of e-media and constant multitasking. They should be encouraged to appreciate the importance of time and know how to use it wisely. They should identify their major time-wasters (TV, internet, music, phone, games, etc.) and make a plan to control them intelligently.

Key Values: Proper Utilization of Time, Self-discipline.
Supplementary Values: Balance, Regularity.
Life Skills: Self-help, Time Management, Organizing.
Estimated Storytelling Time: 6 to 8 Minutes
Give-and-Take Session: 6 to 8 Minutes

Tom Dreat is scared. His exams start next week, and he has not started studying yet. His dad has promised him a PlayStation if he gets an ‘A’ grade. But what if he gets his usual ‘C’ grade? He is really worried and unable to focus on studies. He wishes someone could pull him out of this mess. He needs help more than ever now, and he feels that only God can help him now. So he decides to contact God on his favorite Twitter channel to seek divine help.

Tom tweeted: God, please help me. My exams are coming and I have not studied. Kindly help me.

God retweeted: Do you want me to study and write your papers?

Tom: Is that possible?

God: Yes, I am a good learner. I can help you only if you can send your printed study material to the heaven. You see, I am not comfortable with these e-readers and iPads. Besides, I find them distracting.

Tom: Sorry God, our courier companies do not cover heaven. Is there any other way? Why don’t you come here and appear on my behalf?

God: Yes, I can come if you can ensure that no honest person sees me there. You know, I am a shy person. Besides, I’m afraid what will happen to my reputation if any honest person sees me in the act?

Tom: How can I do that? That’s impossible.

God: Then how can I help you?

Tom: I don’t know. You are God, and you are supposed to help people in trouble. Just a minute! Let me change my song list on the iPod.

God: Are you listening music right now?

Tom: Yeah. I have to do two or more things at the same time because you have given us only 24 hours in a day.

God: Yeah, everyone has 24 hours. I am an equal opportunity provider. You are a student, and a student is supposed to study regularly.

Tom: God, here again you are at fault. Why have you given me the dumb genes? I have to study hours and hours to complete the course.

God: Yeah, I know. My job is to make a distinction between good and bad, deserving and non-deserving, hard working and hardly working people. To err is human and sometimes, I behave like a human.

Tom: Are you saying I am not a hard working person? I am a very hard working boy. You see, I just sleep for five hours, sometimes even less.

God: I know you sleep for five hours. Your account also shows that you usually spend 5 hours on the internet, 2 hours on the mobile, 5 hours on TV and some time on video games.

Tom: …

Message from Twitter “Requests exceeded but may continue as a special case”

Tom: Dear God, why don’t you ask Zuck to make Facebook like Twitter, but with no restrictions? Don’t you feel that Twitter is very ‘limiting’ because of the hourly limit and characters limit?

God: In heaven, Twitter offers a flexible limit as we don’t squeeze the words. By the way, who is this Zuck?

Tom: Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook.

God: Oh, Mark. But he is roaming in China with Chan, and Facebook is banned there.

Tom: But, why China of all the places.

God: Perhaps, he is running away from the Facebook since he knows the secret of success. It just reminds me that you always remember me just before the exams. I can show you the way to succeed if you call me after the exams.

Tom: In future, I will call you after exams if you help me this time.

God: You are not supposed to put conditions on God. It’s not the first exam you’re taking. And this one won’t be the last. Study, prepare and then relax. And confidently take the test. I repeat, I will tell you the success secret if you call me after the exams. Good luck for now!

After a week, Tom tweeted again: God, you promised that next time I would get a PlayStation.

God retweeted: A PlayStation. What’s that?

God: Oh, no you just promised to tell me Zuck’s secrets.

God: Yeah, it just occurred to me that Tom Dreat is just two steps away from becoming Great.

Tom: And what are these two steps? …