Those were the days

 We managed without Internet, computers,  mobile phones, Google,  ChatGPT and much  much more.

We played in the boiling heat, biting cold and pouring rain. 

We were never struck by lightning, when standing under trees while it rained, and stormed.

We completed our homework, and found time to play outside with friends.

We fought, we made up, we fell, we got hurt, we healed and there were physical but no emotional scars.

We were never taken to counsellors and never had time to feel depressed.

We didn't complain to parents about our teachers .

We drank water from anywhere and everywhere- even garden hoses.

Fruit on trees, fruit fallen from trees,  fruit eaten by birds - we ate them all.

Measles,  chicken pox, fevers, colds, influenza came and went.

We wrote love letters by the dozen and got over heartbreaks in a heartbeat. 

We went to places of worship regularly. 

Parents refused to let us stay home from school and fake excuses letters were unheard of.

We used second hand text books and often covered them with news paper.

Yes we used postcards, inlands, aerograms and sent money orders while cramming in a few lines at the very bottom of the form.

We stood in line and waited patiently to make or receive a trunk call.

We also stood in line for vaccinations and inoculations and there was no such things as disposable needles.

We never checked for expirary dates on food packaging.

We flew kites, played marbles, hop skotch,  kick the can, I spy, and hide and seek. Oh yes- dark room too! 

Roadside eateries were packed and good hygiene was definitely not a strong point of the owners.

There is so much more.....

And here we are - many decades later and none the worse for it. 

Life was simple and fun.

Be stubborn

 Be stubborn in the face of the adversary

And take pride

In letting the uninitiated 

Get accustomed to the singing of your untamed spirit.

Refuse to surrender

Or bow before insolent might.

Let the unwavering flame within you 

Continue to burn as brightly as you desire

And never let the winds of doubt 

Extinguish it. 

Be stubborn and resolute in your pursuits, 

And let no one sway your resolve.

Better to be the realist who says the world is terrible, 

Then the naïve optimist 

who says the world is wonderful 

while turning a blind eye to the abounding falsity. 

Let not the naysayers erode your will, 

But instead, let their words fuel your fire.

Your beliefs are the roots

That anchor your character

The compass that points you in the right direction 

And guides your journey through life. 

So, march on, steadfast, in pursuit of greatness,

 And let no setback dampen your spirit's flame.

Let the world see your greatness 

And never sell yourself short

A master with a common touch

 A ‘Master’ with a Common Touch

Mr. Derek Beaman joined The Bishop’s School way back in 1972. I had the privilege of working with him since July 1981 when I was appointed teacher at the Bishop’s School, Pune.

The first few words that come to mind when I reminisce about      Mr. Beaman are ‘honest, God fearing, meticulous, straight forward and hard working’. There are many other traits worthy of mention, but the ones mentioned above, were his most endearing qualities.

As a teacher of English, he was ‘perfection personified’; whether it was vocabulary, punctuation or pronunciation, he knew it all, and as far I know, was never wrong. I could always count upon him to advise me correctly in any difficulties I faced with the English language, at which he was indeed a ‘Master’. His class always enjoyed his lessons, probably aware of the fact that they were being guided by someone who was the ‘very best’.

Mr. Beaman had other interests too, the school choir being one. He loved music and was actively involved in training the school choir for all its performances over the years. Classical music was his forté and he hardly ever missed a good performance, whenever there was one in Pune.

Quizzing was another one of his favourite pastimes and besides training and accompanying the quiz team to various inter-school competitions he enjoyed being the Quiz Master at the Inter-House Quiz Competitions held every year.

Being a bachelor and without encumbrances, the Boarding Section of the school was ‘his family’. He made it a point to attend all the meals in the Dining Hall, and even served the boys himself. He was in his element when school reopened after a long vacation – counting the boys, remarking on those who invariably returned late and on those who were usually homesick.

Mr. Beaman had a remarkable memory that enabled him to remember roll numbers, names etc. He could even tell you the year the boy joined school and whether he was a vegetarian or a non vegetarian!

He was meticulous while checking the class attendance registers, completing house lists and entering the names of new boys in the scholars register. His ability to spot mistakes in numbers and spellings of boys names was phenomenal- if you made a mistake you could be sure C.D.B (as he was often referred to) would spot it.

Another of his outstanding attributes was proof-reading, which, as I am learning through experience, is not only painstaking, but tiring, both mentally and physically. For Mr. Beaman it was just another job which he had mastered to perfection.

He loved animals - dogs, in particular. He also enjoyed reading, listening to the radio (BBC) and going for long walks.

Mr. Beaman led a very frugal existence and was accused of denying himself the good things in life. On visiting his room, one was usually taken aback at its simplicity – one look around told you that this was indeed a simple, God - fearing man, whose one desire was to serve others.

When I think back to 1981, and my first meeting with Mr. Beaman, I  remember that he filled me with awe,  but over the years that feeling was replaced with admiration and appreciation for a man who truly believed that ‘work is worship’.

To quote Mark Anthony in Julius Caesar:

“His life was gentle, and the elements

So mixed in him, that nature might stand up

And say to the world, ‘This was a man!”.

Paragliding at dawn

 I went paragliding at dawn this morning 

And it was a breeze.

The wind in my hair felt exhilarating. 

Clothes flapping- teeth chattering.

Yes, it was freezing up there.

The Italian instructor -  as bossy as ever,

Instructing me to look up 

And enjoy the ride. 

Strange accents these Italians have

And what an attitude !

Could hardly understand him.

He kept asking me to smile for the camera

I couldn't- I was nervous.

I told him so, and I heard him grunt.

Who cares - I was paying! 

Have never been the adventurous kind

In the first place 

So not sure why I did this.

I do silly stuff at times

And then regret it.

It's not about spending the money

But putting myself in unnecessary danger

at my age is a tad foolish - isn't it?

With my back and knees and neck

And left shoulder, and whatever else

That often pains and begs for

dollops of balm ! 

Saw other paragliders floating by and waving.

Two of them holding flags

And one with her pet poodle.

Shouting , screaming , gesturing 

And obviously having the time of their lives.

Crazy things these millennials do

Without a care in the world.

Paragliding with a poodle ?

What next - your pet parrot ?

Give me a break .

The hills below mesmerised me

The sands seemed to change in colour

As the sun rose in the Eastern sky

And a dozen  camels- all in a line 

Like well behaved schoolboys 

Following a young lad

Probably a farmhand- or the son

Of their owner.

The scene was awesome 

And I actually began relaxing

And taking in the sights for posterity.

This would positively be a day to remember 

And something I'd  talk about for a long time.

I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment 

Creeping in.

What next ? 

Deep see diving ?

A parachute jump?

I could see the fast approaching ground 

Which was rising up to meet me

Would I land with a thud?  

I had been dreaming about doing   this for ages.

And then I woke and realized

I had in fact been dreaming.

Old men do have vivid dreams.

Good advice

 I have often been asked for advice on a wide range of topics .

Music, Education, Writing , Speaking , Books, Holidays , Relationships and the like . People assume that ' oldish  men' like me are wise  & experienced enough to advise .

I probably am good at giving advice, as people are very appreciative and some return for more. Not sure about the 'wisdom' part though but I won't sell myself short . 

No, I don't ever think I am extra smart, or anything to that effect so don't get me wrong.

As a young boy, I simply detested  people giving me  unsolicited advice or even worse, asking me questions  - my mother, my aunts and uncles , my grandmother , miscellaneous relatives and friends who dropped in unannounced  were all in that group - and all of a sudden, without so much as a by your leave, the topic was always    ' ME' 

The questions & advice generally centered around me  and my studies.

You must study harder ( seriously ?) 

How many hours a day do you study? . ( I counted it in minutes) 

Have you got your report card?

What happened in school today ? ( 'Nothing'-  was usually the answer) 

If you don't study  you will fail ( I once did)

What do you want to become when you get big- this was an all time favourite and I had no clue !

You should read some good books ( I did)

Don't keep the book too close to your face, or you will end up wearing spectacles or even blind .

Have you had a bath ? 

Eat all your food/ take more  - remember there are children who are starving all over the world . I was confused as to how eating more food would help the starving children. However I never asked that question and it still perplexes me 

 

Then there was the more personal stuff when I was older ,which annoyed me even more .

Have you got a job?

Are you helping your mother ? 

How much do you earn ? ( I started out on Rs 450) 

Are you saving money ? ( There was none to save ) 

Are you wasting your money ?  ( No - not again ) 

When do you plan to buy a place of your own? ( Joke) 

And then as I was ' of the age' or some such phrase,  the questions and advice continued.

Do you have a girlfriend?

You should be looking for a nice girl. 

Who is your girlfriend ?

Do you like so and so ?

Why are you being sly ? 

Look he's blushing . 

Are you 'going steady' with anyone? 

When are you planning to settle down ? 

The questions and advice was never ending . 

So to all those who gave me advice, I say--  "thank you" - jokes aside- a lot of it came in handy, and let me explain in as succinct a way as possible.  

I did study fairly hard towards the end of my time in school , and yes I got a job ! I still have a job ! 

Am very regular with my baths!

I loved my mother! 

I have a house!

I am saving money !  

I probably didn't listen to you about holding books close to my face as I wear spectacles.

I  had a few girlfriends ( OMG some will read this ) 

I married one !   ( She is not on FB ! )  

Now I am not going to give any unsolicited advice, but something  happened this morning which I must share - I know you may say 'here he goes' but stay with me here. 

I was in a hurry.

  I had got up at 4. 45 am as usual , but I was fiddling with my phone, I made my tea and had it ,read the news papers ,checked and attended to mail, did  some  writing, talked  to and annoyed the cat and I guess I never kept my eye on the clock . I also went into the garden, and like Mr Bean, I swung my arms a few times , stretched once or twice, breathed in and out a few times too and was happy with my exercise for the day. 

Before I could say Jack Robinson, it was 7.00 am 

Thirty minutes later  I was ready, and all that was left was to spray on the after shave and go down for breakfast.

I chose the bottle of aftershave closest to me , looked into the mirror - was pleased at what I saw, and sprayed for all I was worth.

Haste makes waste. 

I was getting late, was eager for a good breakfast , was thinking about filling fuel in my  car and contemplating a few meetings during the day. Busy , busy , busy !

All this had contributed to me not checking which way the nozzle was pointed . In a fraction of a second I was screaming in pain, as the cologne saturated my eyes.

It then took me all of ten minutes to rinse my eyes, walk towards my towel like a zombie, and sit on the bed, while my eyes watered, for all they are worth. Trust me, they stung like hell.  I still feel the discomfort five hours later . 

As I told you - am not giving advice but at times people like me lack common sense ! I should have been more careful . 

However - I'm only human . 

By the way- has anyone ever had this happen to them ?

Have you ever...

 Have you heard of the jaggery experiment ? 

Have you checked it out on Google ?

Have your friends been discussing it?

If you are a teacher,  have you debated it with your pupils?

Have you used it to explain History,Geography or Math?

Did you use and AI tool like ChatGPT to find out more?

Or maybe LT rings a bell?

Do you know what Barrack Obama said about using it?

Whenever you think of the jaggery experiment what do you start reminiscing about?

Well if you haven't done any of the above you are like 74386229430 people on this planet who haven't either.

You see, the jaggery experiment was done over 1500 years ago in a remote village in Western India by a lady named Asunti. 

She did it once and never repeated it for fear of causing untold misery for her family and friends.

It all began when someone gave her family a large lump of unadulterated jaggery.

Omg I don't know where this is going so I will end here.

I have no clue ...........sorry.

When God's angels come calling

 When God’s angels come calling 

When God's angels come calling

Maybe - the devil at their heels

Will you welcome them with open arms?

Or will you shout and scream?

Will you be rejoicing, in the future you behold?

Or gnash your teeth in utter despair 

Because your soul

You have willingly sold?

Will you be packed and ready? 

Loving acceptance in your mind

Or caught completely unaware 

Because of belongings, you cannot find?

Candles will be burning

Incense filling the air

The mourners all assembled 

No more time to spare

The angels will sing with glory 

Their swords aflame with light 

While the devil, in his fury

Trying to unleash his Hadean might

But fear not all my people 

 For in the ultimate end

The righteous will prevail 

While the devil,

 in defeat, will kneel

 To the might of heaven's hail

So, let us take heart and stand

 Against the forces of the night

 For when God’s angels come calling 

We know we're on the side of the right.