Save the last dance

Last month - the world was toasting Micheal Phelps. Myself included. If you;d asked me exactly a month or so ago who my favorite olympian from Beijing 2008 was - the answer would have been simple.

What can be a greater feat than the focus and grit of a 20 something who endured learning problems as a child and went on to win not one but eight gold medals in the toughest of sport arenas. They compared him to a fish, a quasi amphibian and said that it was the hand of god that made his arm span greater than his body length. And they were all bang accurate.

But few weeks ago - I read another story that at first seemed like regular sports fare. But in the past two weeks and especially considering where I am in my life at the moment, its grown on me until today when I just cant get it out of my head and have to write about it.

So everyday when I get up in the morning - I think about her. And I am inspired and amazed.

Dara Torres. Age 41. Oldest olympic swimmer. Winner of three silver medals in 2008.

Competed in 5 consecutive olympics. Also went to the University of Florida (Go Gators!)

The more I think about it - it eally gets me. How do you work so crazy hard - endure months of brutal diets and regimes, only to come in second in all your races. In all three of them.

Then - how do you get up the next morning and go about business as usual ?

The truth is that a second chance would be great. But what if someone told me that status quo would be in place longer and I'd get my second chance in exactly 4 years. No more. No less.

Would I stay down or would I get up and keep walking ?

Would I do a Dara Torres ?

I once read that life was like a big prom dance. You could have the big hair and shiny lip gloss and wear your best outfit and show up. But opportunity would dance with you only if you were already on the dance floor. And to be on that dance floor and no one to do the chicken dance with - would require you to be brave.

Thats why failure was necessary - so that it tuned your body and numbed it to pain ... so that you could learn to enjoy the act of dancing. Putting one foot in front of the other and then back. And get used to the groove ..and then one day when you werent watching you'd find someone to twirl with.

Until then - from my heart to yours - this mid september day in Mumbai and wherever you might be - Better Keep Dancing.

For you never know who's going to slip a coin into the jukebox next !

So take a deep breath.. and remember that stuff happens..life goes on and save the last dance..