Might feel a little odd, but true.. How come one regret missing a 730PM show of Grand Old Mumbai circus, even after a long 15years?
Reactions vary from ridiculous, to outrageous to simply non-issue:-) But you know what, this turns out to be a little more sensitive issue than you can imagine. Parashuraman a.k.a Pash is my ex-colleague. Having spent years together in a venerable Govt. of India Research Lab in the earlier stages of our career, we parted ways; but were destined to meet again to travel together on yet another roller coaster. Over a lager late last evening, Pash recollected the circus incident.
Grand old Mumbai circus had just landed in Trivandrum.. Posters sprouted all along the Kowdiar stretch, Palayam and Statue area.. Those unblemished Russian teens demonstrating their uncanny abilities in the ring. The jokers sporting the mundane, yet refreshing, costumes. The old yet majestic tuskers, the king of the jungle sans its aggression. Pash was so excited that our bike rides along the Kowdiar stretch to the office in the morning rush hours were unusually longer.
Later one evening, Pash flipped open his wallet and showed off that green Rs.50 first class pass.. He was planning to watch the 730PM show over the week end... Being part of the same team working on a key strategic project of the organization, I was not sure about making it over the week end, especially when the first prototype was up for a scheduled testing. But Pash was confident of sailing it through, and pack off well before 4pm that evening. The visiting officer from the collaborating firm was keen to get the testing done on day one itself. Everything was going pretty well, until we noticed a problem with the power supply. This was causing unsolicited signals in the input gate and the system started malfunctioning. Pash was cool handling it until he noticed the hour needle closing on to 7pm. Shutting down the unit, he put on his watch, packed his bag and started leaving.. The gentle man frowned, and shouted.Pash explained the reason why he should leave. Brazen, to say the least, was my take on it:-) How could you ever think of watching a circus when a priority work in office is still pending? 'Let me speak to your boss, I need to understand the priority of this work'. the gentleman continued to be aggressive on getting the stuff done. Half an hour later, Pash was back at work, flouted his Rs.50 pass and tore it off in the bin. I smiled inside, you need to have your wisdom to choose your priorities mate:-)
But now stepping into Pash's shoe; watching a circus, which has been in your list of to do things for long, was a must do. Life is not all about work, earning and spending.. It is also about the little things that we cherish, that we are so passionate about, that peps us up...Reading through your favorite book, sipping coffee in a cold windy evening, walking along the beach holding hands with your wife and little ones, watching your kids play hide n seek, the early morning workouts that you have been planning so long, drinking wine in the company of your wife and talking through the wee hours, enjoying that fiesta siesta combo on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Watching your little ones on stage on school day, attending their first dance performance, cooking your favorite dish with your wife, gossiping and talking through the day's rigors..
All these matters, and they don't pass onto the trivia list.. But my early twenties were too early to figure this out:-)
But then, I didn't have the luxury of so many gray cells then!
On a side real note: prototypes seldom work:-)
Regards
Roy