Perspectives

-R.

Pappu Pass Ho Gaya!

"I want to wear this again and again!" well that's what I said trying to console myself for the damage the hat did to my hairdo while Amma giggled. I have never seen my parents more proud, sitting amidst thousands, trying to clap the hardest and waving at me as I walked down the stage with that one thing in my hand, my MD degree certificate. Such a moment I tell you, after close to ten years of medicine...M.B.B.S, M.D.... A few more alphabets hopefully soon :-) 

By the way I graduated with a gold medal a few days ago, I have not been frequenting this blog of mine in the last couple of months for library was the place where you could find me.It is such a transition phase right now with all the time in this world before I land up with a job or more study ;-) While that was an awesome day, a week after that I do not know if it is the post graduation stress of not knowing what next, confronting the future sort of issues. It frightens me seriously, now where do I learn this from-dealing with reality. Is it normal to be terrified? I guess so :-) Meanwhile I can only sing along with Pharell Williams "Because I'm happy...happy...happy!" Yay! :-)

-R.

'A-tal'L-Leader

In a remote village of Thingalady in Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka this frame has been on the wall of the living room of my granny’s house and it is hard to remember since when, every time I see it I go “So like his name- ‘Atal’ -immovable”. Look at him, such clarity of conscience and integrity in his eyes; something rarely seen in those of most politicians. The calendars change, the photo frames change, the curtains change but not this one here.

Today watching the swearing in ceremony of the Narendra Modi cabinet if there is one person whom I missed was him, the best ever prime minister our nation has had and who led the same political party a decade ago, not for what he did or did not but for the person he simply is. With the new government we are bound to compare the current to his predecessor, but we also know it is not prudent to do so. Let us not simply watch this time but participate. Vajpayee is a legacy by himself, and a man of unmatchable words. Another special reason for many like me who grew up in the 1990s are his poems, I learnt most of my Hindi from this great orator. Listen to this one, I bet you WILL get goose bumps, what a poem!

Video Courtesy

With so many heated political arguments and discussions in the media, the Dutts and the Goswamis in the last few months in the name of elections most of us are having a sigh of relief now, and I am glad that is all over today. Now it is time for something else-expectations and work, well fingers crossed. We are a great but strange nation, being the largest democracy we elect our politicians but hardly have any great leaders. And to the latter category belongs this man.

Unfortunately we fail to remember anyone who is not making news. Having seen his photo now and then sitting in the living room recently on one evening I casually asked one of my uncles” So is it time for NaMo on the wall now?” with a smile and he went”Nah!” I gave him one of those eyes out of the socket expression, he walked out of the room saying ”Let him deliver, let him lead” Time for more than a speech now. India waiting. In the name of God.

-R.

Be One

Human nature being what it is, drawn to sugar like an ant trail we are always at getting keyed up when someone famous or around who is having all the joy and success, fame and name or good and great things heard and said about them. A weird but fortunate thing indeed. At different phases of life- scientists, sportsmen, statesmen and celebrities. C’mon we all have had that one forever poster on the wall in the room so that it is the first thing we see when we wake up in the morning and gazed at him/her like there is nobody else in the world, a scientist for that eureka moment you thought even you can run with some day, a cricketer for the way he just held the bat before hitting that boundary, a leader for whatever he believed and said and did. Inspiration is like fresh air around, good to breathe.

On a more personal level- a teacher who gave that extra push, a friend who has always been there no matter what, the mother or father for the way they just love us unconditionally, well we relate and connect to all of them and how can one forget those social gatherings where all the elders have this one common question to ask every kid around after the dance, song and reciting sessions “So whom do you want to be like when you grow up?” Frankly I would be at sixes and sevens with that one particular question back then and even now. 

In my experience I remember one in a group of boys I met in some school during a health checkup camp few years ago, the teachers had a tough time getting all of them from the playground because cricket was keeping them busy and a compromise with that, nah! He was quite restless, continuously looking at the wall clock and worrying if his PT period was getting over. After examining his chest and running nose which he kept on rubbing with the back of his hand and the collar crease I ordered “Say aaah” to have a look at his throat. He looked intently at my stethoscope and the torch in my hand and asked “Dactar Akka, injection elri?” [ read where is the injection? ]. And just a minute before that I was thinking of making this smart chap stand still by mentioning that one formidable medical apparatus.

“You don’t need one right now” I answered. He seemed to smile hearing that. There was something about him, some sort of energy, he couldn’t keep his feet together in one place at one time. He observed everything and everyone around him. I was sure he would have already formulated an opinion about the bunch of white coats who had utilized his quality cricket time, he was batting by the way. Examining his eyes, teeth and nails tempted for a conversation I ended up asking him the same old question with all the curiosity in this world, “So what do you want to do or whom do you want to be like when you grow up?”  and phat came the reply “I want to be myself.”

Look at his grin, yes the one right in focus !

He ran back to the ground before I was done with filling his yellow medical card, and there he was one of my role models running, falling, fighting, shouting and hitting boundaries. Most importantly doing what he loved doing the most, being himself. 

As long as we do not have any sort of contempt for learning; each person, thing or a situation around has something to teach us. You don’t need a hero on the big screen, a scientist with an invention or a leader with a following. Think on an introspecting plane and you realize at times we ourselves are our own role models. I know it sounds too vague or maybe proud but unless we are aware of this, there is no getting better or being happier than what or how we were a minute ago. This little young man taught me that, to live and most importantly enjoy all your moments. Now isn't he a man of honour? :-)

“If you cannot find a good role model, be one”

-Gale Ann Hurd-

PS:  
This post is as a part of Celebrating Men Who Make A Difference! 
I am writing about #MyRoleModel as a part of the activity by Gillette India in association with BlogAdda.com

-R.

Hamara Bajaj

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“Appa! Appa! Akka illa!” squeaked my brother sitting behind my father who was riding this Bajaj Super and it was two cross roads later that Appa figured out that I had fallen off somewhere. My left knee and elbow carry scars in remembrance of that terrible accident. And this was because like most kids who have a normal childhood do we the little duo had the habit of flying our imaginary aeroplanes sitting in the opposite direction holding the Stepney tyre when Appa would take us out, just that I happened to be a bad pilot that one time and crash landed with a thud. Everyone in the house still laughs about this, not because of my fall but Appa’s very timely realization.

This two-wheeler is a family pride sort of thing and to this day lies in one corner in my grandma’s place.My uncle uses it on rare occasions. I noticed it this summer and memories from a separate compartment of my mind came flashing back, those thousand rides round and round through the town, fights to stand in front, kick start tries, tilts when the petrol was almost over and my brother’s amusing decorative stickers, it has survived them all. Some of them in the front are still shining. What splendid days they were, going out anywhere was fun, time moved at its own pace and speed was the last need. Plenty of the Indian households especially the ones who remember their 90s will hum along if I start singing the jingle’ Hamara kal hamara aaj, buland Bharath ki buland tasveer, HAMARA BAJAJ ’. Here it is for some reminiscence:

Riding on the roads has improved drastically with the new age bikes and cars. If you see the commercials on air most of them are about a desperate hulk on the bike with a couple of females getting wooed, a vehicle is meant only for that really? Duh! Today we find ourselves more annoyed, less entertained, more disturbed and less informed before we even realize and ignore these advertisements. Who shows or looks at the simple joys of life? Special little things and those special little moments. Very soon even nostalgia shall be a thing of the past. While writing this, just out of curiosity I asked Appa if by any chance he remembers the number of what used to be one of his prized possession, “KA-02, S-2478” he replied without a second thought.I smiled.

 "Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love 

the things you are the things you never want to lose"

-The Wonder Years-

Sunshine

 

' Let some sunshine through your heart '

-R.