The Mind’s Musings

Engulfed in the fear of the unknown,

Trembling in the fear of the dark.

How was I yesterday and how I am today,

The difference being so stark.

Faith gone astray; mind mired in uncertainty

Blunders committed; I shelter no pity

Things gone bad when all I hoped was good

Cornered alone; I hide under the hood,

It’s when your clarity fades, the reasoning fails

Your heart weeps hard and the soul wails

Does one action ever prove to be the doomsday

Among zillion others that promise a benign way

Struggling amidst rancor and silence

I retrospect sitting on the fence

Life showed me with a clever sleight of hand

That I built my castle of dreams on the sand

I erred! It led me to the newer meanings

Isn’t mistake just another way of doing things?

It’s the struggle to live through one’s mistakes

The struggle to fight till the end and beyond

Answerable only to the inner you;

Endorsing and strengthening the bond

It’s about finding the inner peace;

Inner struggles notwithstanding!

Blow into the wind the cobwebs of the mind

Clear the air and dream the life of your kind

Get on your feet and get running again

You’ll fall again; feel the pain again

If you don’t fall; if you don’t bleed

If you don’t trail, you won’t lead

With the music embrace the din

What is the fun in an one sided win

Hey life! See now! I am the new me!

Longstanding now I’ve to tell thee

Hit me again! I’ll take the blow

But mind you! I’ll never bow!

सन्नाटा

लड़ - झगडके क्या करेगा हासिल,

क्या है दुश्मन ये सारा संसार?

है ज़िन्दगी चार दिन की,

खूब लुटा दे अपना प्यार!

सौ काँटों में बसा है एक गुलाब 

इस खूबसूरती का एहसास दिला दिया

इस चीखती हुई सन्नाटे ने

आखिर कितना कुछ सिखा दिया!

कितनों को है ताने मारे,

लुभाया है तू कितनों को 

कुछ ऐसे भी मोड़ थे जब 

रुलाया तूने अपनों को 

हर डगर पर थे साथ तेरे

राह का पत्थर हटा दिया

इस चीखती हुई सन्नाटे ने

आखिर कितना कुछ सिखा दिया!


हुआ है आज ये एहसास
तू तो हरदम साथ था मेरे
मन तू मेरा! हूँ तो मै अकेला
पर सब है आज साथ मेरे!
सुन रहा हूँ हर वो आवाज़
शहर के शोर को जो तूने दबा दिया
इस चीखती हुई सन्नाटे ने

आखिर कितना कुछ सिखा दिया!

 Respect and Retrospect

“I want to become a pilot”

“I… Umm.. I.. I want to become software engineer”

“And Anna… I want to join Army”

“I… (she giggles..) I want to become a science teacher”

Their responses were as varied as the expressions on their innocent face. But one thing that was common was their background and the environment they live in daily. Our first interaction with 30 odd high school kids studying in a govt aided high school which like many of its peers is going down the path of financial ruin in spite of the dedicated teachers and a very passionate principal.

“Young friends..” was how he started addressing us. The principal “Mr. B.K Purushotham had studied in the same school and later rose to become its principal. His 38 yr association with the school has made him struggle for its survival despite shortage of teachers, lack of infrastructure, lack of support from benign society but in spite of these he still runs around with a great passion, energy and the hope that his school will reclaim the glory once it commanded. My head bows in respect.

He, very categorically, stated that he is very happy that we share some responsibilities of the school and hence would see to it that every moment of ours in his school is utilized for the betterment. He emphasized that it still does not absolve any responsibilities of his staff and should continue to work as they have done before. He said we are all professionals and let us take this work to a logical conclusion professionally. I found a high school head master more professional than some of the managers in the professional field.

We then moved out of the four walls of the class and into the playground. After a few games which helped melt some ice between us and the kids, we sat down with them for some talk. The responses above were for one of the fundamental questions of what they wanted to become once they grow up. Some answers were stereotypical (such as software engineer – specially in Bangalore), some generic (doctor, engineer), some interesting (army, pilot, police, painter, business man) and some, interestingly, specific (mechanical engineer, science teacher). And one response that captured the attention of everyone – I want to become Nothing. I don’t want to become anything. Well this kinda response might be one of the hard-headedness, frustration, anger, indifference, juvenile or just plain ignorance. Or might be something else which I am unable to comprehend. But it does certainly has the potential to give us immense insights. (I plan to do a post on this sometime in future)

The school bell started its symphony at almost the same time we finished our theatrics in the playground! We were content that at least one govt initiative – the mid day meal scheme, was running successfully in this school. A boy came out of the hungry bunch with his plate of rice and asked us to have lunch with him. Declining his sweet offer politely for obvious reasons, we engaged him in a talk. During the course of our conversation with him we found out that he came from a small hamlet in the Lingasur taluk of the Raichur district. He wants to become a teacher and uplift his hamlet from the ignorance. He asked us to keep coming every week and guide him through. Some of these kids and their determination to reach a certain position kind of amazed me.

In retrospect did I ever think what I wanted to be when I grow up? I had a few things in my mind. Foremost was that I wanted to be an astronaut!! I had also designed my robot in my diary and had also drawn the remote to control it (Well I was smart enough to know that I had to control my not-so-smart robot :P). I had also written the stories of my voyage to other planets with my robo (James Cameroon in the making, eh?) When I looked at those pages the last time I had been home, my robot looked like android logo (Plagiarist Google!!) and the remote control appeared like an Excel sheet with 10x10 table. How the times have changed!! 

I also wanted to be a singer but my voice cracked in my teens and so did my dream! As I grew up, I became more common, found a cozy place in my comfort zone and did follow the herd and here I am today as an embedded software engineer! Not that it is bad but I know it’s not the best I wanted to be. I have reached ‘a’ destination but not ‘the’ destination. Do I have to loathe myself for not being what I wanted to be at certain point of time? Nah!!

The point here is so many of us have so many dreams at any instant of time and some of which we regard as the sole purpose of our life. But again, as I always believe, the sole purpose of life need not be a sole purpose. Times change and so does a hell lot of things around and within us. Those who continue to work seriously on their childhood dreams and achieve them are no doubt maverick but at the same time those who could not do so will get those umpteen opportunities that life throws at us and who knows we might be destined for something better in one of those opportunities. 

Going back to the playground, when those kids made us aware of their current dreams, I could not avoid this possibility of many of them not actually being what they, now, want to be. But at the same time it gives this hope that as long as the intentions are honest and the urge is incessant some of them might actually be destined for something better if the efforts are channelized properly. 

I'd be happy if this kid from Lingasur becomes a teacher but I'd be happier if he achieves the underlying urge to uplift his village, may be as a teacher or donning any other role. it doesn't really matter as long as the purpose is served. He wants to reach a destination which is better than what he currently is in. He needs to find a right train, board it, identify himself with it, and travel the full length with patience without de-boarding midway unintentionally or worse with half intentions. 

In this age where being a member of a NGO or participating in CSR has become a status symbol similar to a 100 likes on Facebook, I feel happy to be a part of this small group with no name but with ideas and ideals to stir up some lives!!

PS: I thank that kid for sending me a decade back.

        राह 

बहुत तेज़ दौड़ रही थी ज़िन्दगी
हुई ना थकान, ना कभी प्यास लगी
जिस राह पर रुक ना रही थी मेरी दौड़
उसी राह पर आज अपाहिज खड़ा हूँ मै!


सोचा था दिख रही है मंजिल
पाना है ना मुश्किल, बस लगा अपना दिल
जिस राह पर था मंजिल पाने का विश्वास
उसी राह पर आज गुमराह खड़ा हूँ मै!


उस राह को भरा था अपने सपनों से
राह के दोनों ओर सजाया था अपनों से 
जिस राह से जुडी थी मैंने अपनी पहचान
उसी राह पर आज अनजान खड़ा हूँ मै!


जिस राह पर दौड़ा, गिरा, डगमगाया
जिस राह ने मुझे कुछ मोड़ पर रुलाया
जिस राह पर बढते बढते भटक गया था मै
उसी राह पर आज नए विश्वास से खड़ा हूँ मै!

Noorondu Nenapu...

I don’t know why.

Nothing as such transpired today which would bring your memories back to haunt me. You were a good actor as some others also are. What made you special was that you were gem of a person. I could easily relate many of your roles as they showcased the day to day life. Right from Nagarahavu till Aptharakshaka I was in awe for the portrayal of protagonist of the plot. Though I am not an avid follower of Kannada movies, I used to watch many Kannada movies on Doordarshan. Your movies were the ones which struck a chord in my heart. It might be the angry young man of Nagarahavu or the ideal yajamaana/appaji/anna, you never seemed dramatic. You were all real. You were the life in those characters.

The day you left us I was in my home and the news came as a rude shock. How can you just leave us when you have so much yet to give us.

What made you closer to our hearts was that you lived the life you portrayed on screen. You were successful yet you were so humble. You were chided, pulled down in your career by some morons but you silenced them by utter commitment to your deed. You were deeply pained; who wouldn’t after all you had to go through in Gandhinagar. You could have brought those people down once people saw your real worth. But you did not. This makes you special. There would have been no difference between you and them if you had done the same. You never even spoke about it. You never complained. You just did what you do the best. As simple as that.

I am listening to noorondu nenapu now and it makes me sadder than you in that song.

You should have lived longer :(

WHOSE DIME IS IT ANYWAY??

Plate meals(veg) - 35
Meals(non-veg) - 80 
Curd rice - 18 
Pulav - 18 
Tomato rice - 20 
1 cup kheer - 10 
Fruit salad - 20 
Soup - 30 
Dosa - 15 
Tea - 5 
(*Rates approximated) 
The price list looks like that of any other in the next street hotel. For a change, have a look at the below price list: 

Plate meals(veg) - 12.50 
Meals(non-veg) - 22 
Curd rice - 11 
Pulav - 8 
Tomato rice - 7 
1 cup kheer - 5.50 
Fruit salad - 7 
Soup - 5.5 
Dosa - 4 
Tea - Re. 1/- 

If you are thinking that this might be the price list in the same hotel 2 decades ago, you are slightly mistaken. 

Keep reading... 

Today we are caught between the devil and the deep sea. If on one side we face rising needs with increasing influence of consumerism, on the other, the exorbitant price rise laughing hard on us. However there is one place which is totally insulated from the sky-rocketing prices. It is the place which guarantees equal (?) rights to all its stakeholders – the Indian Parliament. If one steps into our parliament canteen, one might see the price list as in the 2^nd table above. And look who’s getting these facilities. The poor destitute of our country, fighting hard (?) for the people who invested (again a ?) their valuable vote in them, spending a bunch of their energy on being the voice of the dear people?? The people we elected to the highest office with a hope of lessening our burdens eating their hearts out at our expense?

When the country is gaping at about 15%+ food inflation, the right and the left blame the center and the center on the states and once they are done with their blame game, they dine together in parliament canteen without a tinge of shame and thus maim the hearts of countless fellow citizens. They might probably discuss the causes of price rise while wiping off the subsidized food. An irony, isn’t it? They don’t even realize that they are a bigger part of the problem or do they?(If this is the case then God save his own country!!) An honest citizen would at least feel ashamed to fill his/her stomach at others expense. Tell this to our ‘leaders’. They fire back – ashamed? Is this a new word in angreiji just like avatar?

Whose dime is it anyway? Our country is so populated that even if half the taxpayers pay their taxes honestly, our leaders can lead a ‘happy enough’ life. Leading, in our leader’s lexicon, might imply leading his life happily whatsoever. And the worse part, this is not gonna change soon. The change would require our MPs to debate on the issue and probably pass a bill to cut off the unreasonable subsidy and match the rates to the current levels. Even a child would laugh at such a proposition. The last time (well, it was also my first time) I saw the entire parliament united was in the issue of salary hikes and perks, well, to themselves. Couple of years later, they started screaming at the CEOs and executives salary.

Coming back to food price inflation, instead of I-blame-you-you-blame-me attitude, every single MP can do his/her bit by refraining to burn a hole in honest tax-payers pocket. They should understand the consumer’s difficulty in balancing his life among various priorities. They should understand ours is a land where it is preached to serve others before you serve yourselves. A mother in our country says she does not like apples if apples are 3 and the members in the family, four. It is the nation where annadaana is considered greatest of all forms of service. Yet we are led by those who loot people at every instance possible and guess what! They loot legally (disguised as subsidy in this case)! Certainly India never fails to surprise!!

It happens only in India?!?

PS: Due to distorted Demand-Supply equation affordable food prices are but a temporary phenomenon according to a report by Equitymaster.

Is anybody listening?

VEGETABLE VENDORS

Paanch rupaye me teen le lo seth…

Tazaa tamaate laal tamaate…

Bhendi tazaa hai kya? Ye dekho saab abhich khet se utha ke laaya potha..

Poora phreshh adaa ree, togoree maalakre..

I was walking through the crowded vegetable market of my town amazed by the typical tone of these canvassing of their vegetables and the price negotiations which felt like music to my ears. Suddenly a known voice from the other direction interrupted my thought process – Arey chhote maalik! Kaise ho aap? Kab aaye banglaur se? The voice was one of the hundreds of vegetable vendors over there and he was one of many vendors from whom we regularly buy vegetables. And by regularly I mean for the last 20-25 years. These vendors have become a part of our lives. We have met and talked to them more than some of our close relatives. I was elated standing there among them when I was home during the year end vacations.

It was a welcome change from the air conditioned, neatly stacked, one stop ‘fresh’ grocery stores in the city of Bangalore. I had missed the crowded and never silent market of my hometown where every vendor would greet you heartily and return back a precious smile. Here a relation is built on the grounds of friendliness and affection which both the parties – the vendor and the consumer – would carry till the end of their lives. Relationships, here, are not based on the hypocritical expectation of favors/returns. A smile is what one needs to invest. The relationship once built would then make their way to next generation as well. Way back when I was a child, one of the vendors used to take just Rs.10 for whatever we bought and every time we used to buy vegetables worth more than that. Then my dad would forcefully place extra money in his hands. He would give me and my sister some vegetable to keep munching. He would also put in couple of vegetables more into our basket. The vendor never asked any favor in return for his affection. Today I don’t see him in the market. His son takes care of his stall as he is not keeping well. The same values are instilled in his son as well. His son is of my age and we have been friends since our childhood. It was this friendship which made him to wave me the other day and call me to his stall. He expected to share few words and was never to make me buy at his stall. All these years of association with some of the vendors have made us know each other’s family to an extent. When they spot me alone, they’d ask maaji nahi aaye? Seth kahaan hai? Seth ko bolo kabhi dukaan chodke idhar bhi aaya kare…

A striking difference that I observed is in the way people behave in these outlets. In the ‘fresh’ and air conditioned grocery store that I visit in B’lore I came across a kid running happily from one stack to another. She was excited to find various vegetables in so many colors. She put her hand into a stack to get the feel of the color when her parents yell – Take your hand out Honey! Don’t touch them… Keep quite… Go and hold the hand of your mummy! The other day I had been to the market in my town with my family accompanied by our tenant’s family. They have a sweet li’l daughter aged about 7. As soon as she enters market, she runs straight to a vendor, smiles at him; the vendor gives her a carrot which she relishes till they finish buying and come out. She has the complete freedom even in that crowd.

During the training sessions in my company, we were taught FISH philosophy. We had seen what Pike place fish market looks like. It was when I went to the market in my hometown that I realized our market resemble Pike place fish market. The energy surrounding them, their attitude towards their customers, the way they make our day are all proof enough to say they are unknowingly following the fish philosophy. Had I realized back then that their actions could be stated as a work philosophy, I would have been the child prodigy on #1 best sellers list(of course with the help of one who knows how to convert thoughts into words)!! I had all the resources and experience back then but not the realizationJ

I sometimes wonder what keeps motivating these vendors all these years. They get meager margins on what they sell. They usually have to fight their way out with government authorities. They have to keep on working hard 24x7, 365 days a year. There is nothing called weekends to them. In fact they have to toil harder on Sundays. They hardly hang out with their social circle. In fact there exists no social circle. They see no dramatic growth/changes in their environment around/wealth/position/status. They don’t know what Orkut/Facebook is. They cannot tweet their helelessness. They don’t know what a pizza looks like. They are content with roti cooked in their homes almost everyday of the year. A film CD, a Television and in front of that hordes of them under a tin shed is what they call their multiplex. I have seen them wearing same shirt for about 5 years but they don’t complain! They manage to put up the genuine smile on their face and especially the large-heartedness (which is woefully missing in those who drive their BMWs, eat nothing raw, check out calories before consuming anything and have almost forgot what sunshine is).

Every time you go back they welcome you with a smile and kind words. They ask about your work. They tell you that you have shrunk since the last time you visited them (thus reminding you how important mothers home-made is). You never negotiate the total amount of purchase. They just tell the total amount and in some cases you stand there surprised thinking this guy will never change and then you forcefully hand him couple of notes more. He never complains about the problems he faces. He never tells you how cash strapped he is. He just gives you what is called more-than-desired-service and which is mutually satisfying. He blends all his social elements in his business as he has no explicit social circle. You know you are getting more value than desired when you deal with him. At the end of the day, more than money, satisfaction is what matters him the most.

Don’t we have something to learn from him?

Book Shelf

Rich Dad Poor Dad

Author: Robert T. Kiyosaki

Co-Author: Sharon L. Lechter

Ever wondered if your child is educated properly and adequately in the school? Do your child’s grades really indicate his/her level of education? Your child might be a winner in the school but does it translate to being a winner in society as well? In a shift of thinking from conventional social dogmas regarding money to practical society and the need to survive in it, author Robert T Kiyosaki starts off with his own story and the way he was influenced by his two dads. One dad wanted him to study hard, get good grades and find a high paying job with great benefits. He was highly educated and intelligent. The other dad never finished the eighth grade. Both were successful in their careers and earned significant incomes. Yet one of them struggled financially all his life and the other was counted as one of the richest in the town. But worked hard all their lives and were strong, charismatic and influential. But one died with bills unpaid and the other left with millions to family and charity. The author tells that both men believed strongly in education but did not recommend the same course of study.

He ingeniously brings out the contrast between two dads –
PD - Study hard so you can find a good company to work for.
RD – Study hard so you can find a good company to buy.
PD – The reason I’m not rich is because I have you kids.
RD – The reason I must be rich is because I have you kids.
PD – When it comes to money, play it safe, don’t take risks.
RD – Learn to manage risks.
PD – I don’t work for money.
RD – Money works for me.

Two influential fathers had a profound effect on his thinking. He learned from both of them. The mutually conflicting advices made him think and exercise his brain right from age 9. He weighs both the arguments and decides to go the Rich dad’s way. Talking about money is always considered immoral. But the very lack of knowledge about how money works is the root of pitiable condition of many people. Kiyosaki makes an attempt to educate the readers about the need for being financially literate.

In the six lessons that follow, Kiyosaki takes us on an exhilarating ride on the ways to handle our finance. His cash flow patterns clear the air surrounding incomes, assets and liabilities. He says it is necessary to read through the numbers. A chapter on history on taxes and corporations illustrate how the rich play their game and evade from the clutches of tax. The true capitalists use their financial knowledge to find an escape. In the end he gives ten steps which he followed to awaken the financial genius in him.

But then he emphasizes on the fact that acquiring wealth is not easy. One needs a tremendous determination and groom the financial genius within him. It is not a quick-fix-technique. Rich Dad Poor Dad offers practical methodologies and is an action oriented book. Mere reading is of no use.

'Quote'shwara

"Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much. Wisdom is humble that he knows no more"

My Take

The Curious Case of Two Indians

Hail the great souls!
Who just fret, growl and scowl
No Wonder!
India is still a begging bowl!

Be selfish! Think about yourselves and nothing else – Did we need this gyan darshan and especially from a person who prides himself to be an academician, an able administrator and always on heels for a social cause. But then this is just one face of the coin, the first Indian.

What the boys saw the other day was the other face of the coin, the second Indian and it was conspicuously dissimilar.

The tale revolves around a bunch of boys who, one fine evening, were discussing the problems plaguing the country and indifferent attitude of a section of citizens towards it. The casual talk which started in a tiny living space of our vast country transformed into a well fed discussion. Ideas flew across the room. The potential of youth who can and certainly have to transform the country were talked about. And it was also realized that to change the nation, the youth have to change themselves. The people who adore cleanliness abroad and fret over dirty India are the same people responsible for the dirt. The people who spit on our roads are the same who would even swallow their phlegm to keep the roads clean overseas. This is the paradox of two Indians.

The boys in our tale decided that next day they take first step towards converting their ideas into pragmatic action.

They woke up with the rays of hope. They had decided. They would organize a voter registration drive in their college campus where everybody can register to vote. They would also utilize the opportunity to spread the awareness among the fraternity. The awareness to vote. Lok Sabha elections are a couple of months away and a non-profit organization would help them in this regard. They needed college management’s support as well. The boys were optimistic about the support as this is a social cause and their head of institution is renowned for his social service (?).

The boys approach their head and in a span of 5 seconds, literally 5 seconds, they get a flat rejection and the gyan they get from a person who is supposed to guide them not just academically but also morally and socially – ‘Be selfish! Think about yourselves and your career and nothing else’

Jai Ho!!!

Well, this is the second Indian and the boys they were meeting and discussing (for 5 sec!) with the first Indian. We would not be surprised if he again dons his first Indian mask in case media or his higher authority or any other means through which he can broaden his popularity, were present.

The whole lot of second Indians is plaguing the country to the core. The disaster is that most of us are brought up that way. One Indian is a selfless person. The other carry masks everywhere. We encounter the masked second Indian so frequently that we seldom come across the first Indian and worse whenever we come across first Indian we mistake him to be our second Indian. The first Indian promises all basic amenities and soon after the second Indian takes over and the promises remain, well, as promises. The second Indian cries n shouts about the country being in doldrums. The first Indian, who can be the knight in shining armor, is in deep slumber.

These two Indians are in the heart and minds of every one of us. What matters at any point is who overpowers the other. I think when Swami Vivekananda said ‘Awake yourself’, what he meant was to awake the second Indian inside us. In case of youths, the second Indian wants to continuously hog the limelight. He wants to devise his own rules, his own way. He does not need the advice of anybody. In fact, the second Indian will not tolerate any attempt to undermine him. He is ready to revolt. The senior second Indians (read as old people) just see the Jr. second Indian and continuously find fault with him. And as mentioned earlier, the Jr. second Indian cannot tolerate this and revolts. This sets up a vicious circle. This fault-finding mission gets carried over to Jr. first Indians as well and all the goodness of the youth are masked by second Indians and hence the youths are always suspected for whatever goes wrong. Perhaps that the reason this maxim was coined – In youth, we want to change everything. In old age, we want to change the youth.

Coming back to our boys, the first Indian in them were ruthlessly suppressed. They know the severity of the wounds inflicted on our country by the whole sea of second Indians. Every one of us is involved in this war. The war between the first Indian and the second Indian inside us. No other enemy of the country is as disastrous as the second Indian who is analogous to cancerous cells. They have the capability to kill us from within. It is time for each one of us to throw away the mask of second Indian and wear the mask of a true warrior fighting for his love for the country.

Hope the boys continue to keep their first Indian in good spirits and realize that ‘A bend in the road is not the end of the road’.

जन्नत

सूरज की किरण छायी है हर ओर हरियाली
धीमी हवा हो; कलियों में लहराती हो तुम
सूरज डूबे; दिन ढले; पूनम रात हो जाए काली
चाँद से चांदनी जो चुराती हो तुम।
आसमान के तारों से हूँ मै सहमत
तू है बड़ी नटखट, तू ही मेरी जन्नत!


तेरे आंखों के सागर का नाविक हूँ मैं
छुपा ले तू मुझे अपने पलकों में
कही नज़र न आऊँ तेरे नैनों में मैं
लगे न नज़र; काटूँ वहीं हर पल को मैं।
इस सागर में मेरे सपनों के जहाज़ को रोक मत
तू है बड़ी नटखट, तू ही मेरी जन्नत!


झाँक के देख मेरे दिल में एक बार
चाँद की सजी महफिल में तू नाचती मोर
चाहे मेरे दिल के तू कर दे टुकड़े हज़ार
आइना है ये! भिखरेगी तू हर ओर।
जग के पवित्र प्रेम की तू है मूरत
तू है बड़ी नटखट; तू ही मेरी जन्नत!


चाहे वक्त हमारे बीच बढ़ा दे दूरी
लहरों को सागर से अलग क्या कर सकता कोई?
कभी हाँ कभी ना - कहती रहे मन ये तेरी
मान भी ले; पूरी हो तेरी हर तमन्ना सोई।
मन कहे मेरा बंद कर तू अपनी ये शरारत
तू है बड़ी नटखट; तू ही मेरी जन्नत!

(रचना: १४/०२/०९ )
वि सू : यह रचना मात्र काल्पनिक है और किसी से कोई सम्बन्ध नही है
यदि किसी के साथ समानता होती है तो इसे मात्र एक संयोग कहा जायेगा!!!

BooK Shelf

It’s not about the bike…..

….. It’s about Lance

It’s easy and rather exciting to watch a group of cyclists riding against each other at 75 miles per hour downhill. But it’s tough when we are on the seat and racing in extreme conditions. It gets tougher when one is diagnosed with life-threatening ailment and his career and his family at stake. But it is toughest when you fight against odds all through your life, escape the jaws of death and still manage to win the world seven times.

Now that’s Lance for you.

It is well said: ‘when going gets tough the tough gets going’.

For Lance, when the going gets tough Lance gets racing.

Lance Armstrong started out as a top class athlete with a unique mixture of strength and tactic but as he was about to prove to the world why he is the greatest cyclist, cancer chose his body. But that was the biggest mistake of cancer. It was conquered masterfully by this man who showed the world one can be against odds all through his life and still triumph.

In his book ‘It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life’, Lance lays out a detailed account of his life which is an epic in itself. It starts like this:

"I want to die at a 100 years old with an American flag on my back and the star of Texas on my helmet, after screaming down an Alpine descent on a bicycle at 75 miles per hour. I want to cross one last finish line as my stud wife and my ten children applaud, and then I want to lie down in a field of those famous French sunflowers and gracefully expire, the perfect contradiction to my once-anticipated poignant early demise.

A slow death is not for me."

True. Lance cannot die a slow death. He did everything fast. Acceleration is his first love. And that’s precisely the reason why I said cancer chose a wrong person this time. You have a person in front of u who has a mere 3% chance of survival. You would bet your fortune on his death and still lose because he is Lance Armstrong.

He was diagnosed on 2^nd October 1996. At 25 yrs, when he was at the prime of his career and turning out to be a cycling champion, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, a rare one with such a young man. He was operated upon and eventually tests reveal that the cancer has spread its tentacles to his lungs (Life-organ for a cyclist) and to his brains as well. He was carrying a dozen tumors in his lungs and lesions in his brain. To make matters worse, he was diagnosed rather late which complicated matters. Doctors give him 40% survival chance but actually it was 3% as he reveals later in his book. Brain surgery was followed by chemotherapy. The book is the story of the man who fights cancer physically, mentally, psychologically and financially as well.

In his words:

“Cancer would change everything for me. It wouldn’t just derail my career; it would deprive me of my entire definition of who I was. I had started with nothing. But, on my bike, I had become something. There were gallons of sweat all over every trophy and dollar I had ever earned, and now what would I do? What would I be if I wasn’t Lance Armstrong, world-class cyclist? “

He writes about his mom, his ‘so-called’ father, his self-respect, the emotional and financial support of his mom and his emotional support to his mom. He is very correct in illuminating the roles of various people in his fight – his mom, agent, coach, friends, team-mates, sponsors (not all), doctors, nurse, his admirers, and his wife.

There were two Lance Armstrong’s: one pre-cancer and the other post-cancer. He rode the bike not for pleasure but for a living. Winning was the only thing which mattered him. Post-cancer, he was a changed man. Excerpts:

“Once, someone asked me what pleasure I took in riding for so long. "Pleasure?" I said. "I don't understand the question." I didn't do it for pleasure. I did it for pain.

Before the cancer, I had never examined the psychology of jumping on a bicycle and riding for six hours. The reasons weren't especially tangible to me; a lot of what we do doesn't make sense to us while we're doing it. I didn't want to dissect it, because that might let the genie out of the bottle. But now I knew exactly why I was riding: if I could continue to pedal a bike, somehow I wouldn't be so sick.”

In another occasion he writes:

“One thing you realize when you’re sick is that you aren’t the only person who needs support – sometimes you have to be the one who supports others. My friends shouldn’t always have to be the ones saying: “You’re going to make it.” Sometimes I had to be the one who reassured them, and said, “I’m going to make it. Don’t worry.” “

Cancer not only jolted him physically and mentally but compounded his financial problems as well. He had cancer but had no health insurance. The severity of his condition is well laid-out in this excerpt:

“I was oddly unemotional. It had been a busy week, I thought to myself. I was diagnosed on a Wednesday, had surgery Thursday, was released Friday night, banked sperm on Saturday, had a press conference announcing to the world that I had testicular cancer on Monday morning, started chemo on Monday afternoon. Now it was Thursday, and it was in my brain. This opponent was turning out to be much tougher than I'd thought. I couldn't seem to get any good news: It's in your lungs, it's stage three, you have no insurance, now it's in your brain. “

Lance tackled all the issues with aplomb and proved he is the not the niche for cancer. Though the relapse period of 1 year was nervous, it was his sheer determination which made him perfectly fit. He established Lance Armstrong foundation. He writes:

“Anything’s possible. You can be told you have a 90-percent chance or a 50-percent chance or a 1-percent chance, but you have to believe, and you have to fight. By fight I mean arm yourself with all the available information, get second opinions, third opinions and fourth opinions. Understand what has invaded your body, and what the possible cures are.”

His comeback into the world of cycling was scripted by his coach and his wife. Now he found the pleasure in riding. He was more focused and put in hours together to regain physical fitness and improve his tactics. It was time for him to prove he is still the best. It was time for Tour de France.

Tour de France – 2290 mile road race and here road is not just flat plain roads but rugged terrains, chains of mountains as well over a period of 21 days. In his words:

“It would be easy to see the Tour de France as a monumentally inconsequential undertaking: 200 riders cycling the entire circumference of France, mountains included, over three weeks in the heat of the summer. There is no reason to attempt such a feat of idiocy, other than the fact that some people, which is to say some people like me, have a need to search the depths of their stamina for self-definition. It’s a contest in purposeless suffering.”

These tours show the true difference between a champion and an ordinary cyclist. Since his 1st Tour de France, Lance has won 7 consecutive Tour de France amidst stiff competition and proved his mettle.

‘It’s not about the bike’ is a learning experience. What do we learn??

1. Coping with fear: Fear is suicidal. It is agreeable that anybody, for that matter, will lose his senses at a misfortune of that magnitude. If you are not scared you are not normal. But fear should not cloud our constructive thinking. Once you suppress fear and start thinking rationally, you are already on track towards victory.
2. Self preparation: Lance understood cancer as good as a surgeon. He did extensive research on the subject. He writes:

“I became a student of cancer. I went to the biggest bookstore in Austin and bought everything there on the subject. I came home with ten different volumes: diet books, books on coping emotionally, meditation guides”

When you know in and out of a subject, you feel confident to face any situation.

3. Interaction: Contact and talk openly with doctor on all issues pertaining the diagnosis and subsequent treatment. A good doctor-patient relationship always betters the prospect of cure.
4. Importance of second opinion: This is one thing which we lack in India. Don’t just depend on the verdict of one doctor in critical cases. The patient has every right to consult anyone. Lance suggests to take second, third and if need be even fourth opinion. In his case it was alternate opinion and the change of treatment protocol which saved his life and his career as well.
5. Management of finances: With no insurance, Lance works out the value of his assets and plans accordingly.
6. Patients role in cure and self-confidence: Research on the disease and active interaction with doctors makes one confident (In Lance’s case) either of living or dead. In any case, this was better than vacillating between life and death and living under stress all through. Lance knew he could live if he fought back. As is his nature, he fought hard. Cancer was another race for him but the destination was different and the path leading to it the most grueling. It was the matter of life and death. He had to walk on a tight rope with deep gorge on both sides and he kept walking for two years from the day of his diagnosis and till the end of relapse period. The maturity he showed is a stuff to be known and understood by every one of us.
7. Family support: The support of his mother and friends is exemplary. His wife Kristine too showed character and maturity during his relapse period and when he was down n out in comeback tourneys and quit Paris-Nice.

This is a book for enthusiastic cyclists, women (his mom and Kristine), business executives, cancer patients, coach, mom, son and doctors alike. Read this book and you open up yourself to the vast sea of possibilities. It wouldn’t have taken any effort to lose hope and not see the light. But Lance is borne and equipped to fight and so is everyone else. Sometimes just an iota of belief is enough to cross the bridge over the sea of difficulties. It all depends on our thought and subsequent action.

2 men looked out from prison bars; 1 saw the mud, & the other saw stars.

-- Anonymous

P.S: February 4^th is observed as World Cancer day.

नामों का रामायण - नामायण

परखा है क्या किसी ने नाम-काम की डोर

नाम से कुछ और तो काम से कुछ और

अक्ल-शक्ल कुछ और, कुछ और उनका मन

आगे पढिये तो सही, यही है नामों का रामायण|

नाम रखा भीम, उठा पाया ना पत्थर

चतुरकुमार के अंक छः सौ में सिर्फ़ सत्तर

शेरसिंह पर भौंक रहे गली के कुत्ते

मिलन सिंह कभी किसी से ना मिलते|

दुल्हे राम की कभी ना निकली बारात

सूर्यकांत जागते रहे सारी सारी रात

श्रीमान परमानन्द हमेशा रहते रोते-रोते

भाग्यचंद का भाग्य दिखा सोते-सोते|

मजबूत सिंह के नल का हो रहा पानी लीक

धनीराम दिखे रस्ते पर मांगते भीक

शान्ति हमेशा दिखती आग की भाँती

पालनकुमारी बड़ों की आज्ञा कभी ना मानती|

गंगाराम के घर का है बोरेवेल बंद

तेजकुमार का है गति अति मंद

ज्योति के घर में कभी ना दीप जला

शीघ्र्कुमार का सब काम टला|

यादराम को याद नही उसका नाम

है बहुत सफ़ेद हमारे श्याम

विजयकुमार दस बार एलेक्शन में हारे

अमरजी बीस बरस में हुए भगवान के प्यारे|

छोटूलाल है जैसे अपने अमिताभ

लक्ष्मीकांत के व्यापार में कभी ना हुआ लाभ

गिरिधर अपना बैग कूली को दिया

शक्ति कपूर अपनी सारी शक्ति खो दिया|

इन लोगों का ही मै कर रहा था ज़िक्र

अपने नाम और काम का रहे ना कोई फ़िक्र

नाम के विपरीत निकले तन, मन और धन

इसलिए लिखा मैंने नामों का रामायण - नामायण|