ninety is the new eighty

This last week has been a shocker. Five kids(they hate it when I call them kids!) in my family gave 10th board exams and man you should see their scores. Ninety definitely is the new eighty. I have seen people score a whooping 96.8 and cry. What for?, I asked. The answer I got was "I didn't top in my school". In case of a particular school topper- "I scored 100 in science but not in maths". In most cases, a simple "It is not upto my expectations", was cited as the reason for sulking.

I am unable to understand what these peolple want. Everyone wants 100, and in every subject. There is little happiness. I was jumping up and down on scoring a ninety and they are sitting brooding about trivial issues. Unravelling their minds and understanding their psycology is difficult, at least for me. But everytime I have heard the discussion of board marks, I have felt this urge to stop these 'young people' and tell them that all of them aspire and not all can be 'board toppers'. But I have stopped myself on every such occasion, maybe, because I want them to fight with the same zeal. This hunger seems to be getting them the rewards (rewards according to me), at least!