Sunday, January 6, 2013

tryst with a few good men..

Its 02:00 am at night and I had to tell someone that it is a sleepless one for me. While my thumbs type this sentence on a Blackberry OS 7.1 device, rest of my being continues to radiate heat at 101 deg Fahrenheit like a bio-thermo-electric device. My stomach feels like a pharmacy & microbiology lab, with digestive system gone for a holiday, or a war zone with infection waging a battle against antibodies with chemical weapon support. My lower back reminds me of the red hot steel on the anvil of an Iron smith constantly being thrashed by a Sledge Hammer. Every human conversation around me seems like mosquitoes buzzing out of nowhere.
Mom's recovering from a fracture & dad's fighting a stress generated disorder. My Brother remains the man in control now, grossly overloaded & least compensated member of the family currently gaining his expertise in Disaster & Crises Management, subjects that he never learned at a Biz school. Academically an average student, he just managed to pass his way through. With a servant no longer around at home, the only medically fit member does get to handle everybody else's roles & responsibilities like never before. From feeding our mother's pet dogs to visiting the farmlands at the village, he is also doubling up as a hospital attendant for the 3 not so well members of the family. A close friend of his is booked for threatening the life of a senior politician, to whom, he pays regular visits at the district jail. He's apparently helped a lot of inmates with food and warm clothing with special requests to the jail administration. Quite a few visit home, he offers them a place to stay with dinner on the house. With temperature dropping as low as 0.2 deg Celsius, he continues to fetch vegetables & groceries from all over on his motorbike, besides meeting a swelling number of visitors as election time approaches. Never have I seen this guy rise up to the occasion with so much ease, as I would find myself pretty much lost under such circumstances, if I were in his place. No wonder, challenges bring out the best in a man, but this time, something has been exceptional. Our ideological differences far outweigh the concepts in life that we are in agreement with each other. This time however, he earns my respect for reminding me that its not academically brilliant, professionally competent or financially affluent that make the greatest impact in our lives. Its just those simple guys around us who are there when nobody else is. This is a time of trial, when my oldest of friends and closest of relatives have disappeared into oblivion, for when a ship sinks, the rats are the first to leave. But somehow, this sinking ship has turned itself into a nuclear submarine overnight, something which works only when its sunk! It is one of those scenarios where an ordinary soul goes to an extraordinary extent in exhibiting character in the face of adversity. There are Generals,Statesmen,CEOs,Sportsman,Artists and Celebrities who have adorned their walls with accolades & trophies of their achievements. And then there are men who won't ever talk, leave alone bragg about it. They are no Gold medalists, star performers or heads of state. They are simple souls in flesh & blood who don't sell or market themselves, because they are not for sale. They are priceless. A man physically and psychologically battered such as me, is surprised at this human quality to see a common person, whose capability is largely underrated, become something of a personal hero. Often, we ignore the fact that we are surrounded by such heroes who will never show themselves and never take credit for the quiet deeds they do. They simply do what they are born to do silently and leave a mark behind, for those whose lives they've touch. Blessed to have been born in the company of those few good men..!