Hakuna Matata in the English Department: My Timon and Pumbaa Life

This morning, our English Department was buzzing with the usual energy staff talking about deadlines, students chasing assignments, and someone mentioning the never-ending syllabus. But me? I was in my own zone, silently humming Hakuna Matataaaa  the Tamil version from Timon and Pumbaa that I’ve loved since childhood. It’s not just a cartoon song. It’s a life motto.

While my colleagues debated over question papers and student discipline, I was smiling to myself, thinking, “Why so serious?” I don’t mean I don’t care I just don’t carry unnecessary tension. Some days, like today, I can even hear a drum set playing in my mind, like a personal background score. But instead of worrying if I’m losing it, I enjoy the beat and move along with it.

In the middle of class, a student asked, “Sir, how do you stay so chill all the time?” I just replied, “Timon and Pumbaa, my dear. No worries, no tension!” My department is full of wonderful, hardworking people, but I’ve realized that stressing doesn’t solve anything. I’d rather teach with a smile, crack a joke mid-lecture, and walk through the chaos like Pumbaa strutting through the jungle.

Even when meetings stretch endlessly or someone tries to pull me into academic politics, I simply choose to stay cool. I know who I am. I know my path. Like Timon and Pumbaa, I may not fit everyone’s idea of “professional,” but I sure know how to live with peace.

So here I am, part of the English Department, where stress is served daily  but I keep singing Hakuna Matataaaa. Because that’s how I roll. Carefree. Funny. And absolutely unbothered.

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