Hero

On Independence Day this year, Hero Motorcorp released their new branding campaign in India. Composed by Maestro AR Rahman, the title song for the campain “Hum mein hai Hero” was an instant hit with me and Kumbhi baby. While I responded in true adult fashion by looking outside the window contemplating and then writing this blog, Kumbhi’s vigorous kicking was truly a more honest response.
Its funny, just a few days ago, the air rife with anti corruption protests, bomb blast witch hunts, oil spills and riots in the so called civilized developed world, I sat in bumper to bumper traffic staring at the potholes on the highway of life. I could not help but wonder what kind of a world was it was going to be for the new generation that will make its way to planet earth this year. What would their values be? Who would their heros be?
The funny thing is – that its hard to remember sometimes the most basic of things. Its great to see public figures on the television…politicians, nobel prize winners, scientists, sportsstars and literary gurus. But how many of them can you truly recall as core inspirational quotient generators in your life. Our personal heros are always and almost certainly those just around us.. our parents or a teacher who is patient with our failings or a sibling that holds our hand in the dark or a friend who stays positive through a difficult time or a classmate who overcomes defying odds to make it big or one that simply gives it up to help others. A small kid that stands up to the neighborhood bully, an old frailing dog that still ferociously guards the entrance to our apartment, the cleaning lady who never misses a day or a doctor that makes a dreaded midnight call to help a loved one.
The truth is that you don’t have to go to war to be a hero. Even just saying “No” can be so hard sometimes its an act of bravery. In one way or the one, we are all our own heros.
Seeing the small kid say “No” to giving up his bat and sticking to the crease in the commercial, brought me tears and perspective.
I am a fool to worry about the last action heros of the world. There will be plenty of everyday acts of bravery and heroism to inspire young and old in the days to come. And that will help us all hold on ..just five minutes longer ..to that ray of hope, that sliver of a dream and that will make all the difference.

I am 32 years old and my city is Mumbai.
Thank God I have enough.

Naam hai Siddhu!!

One the eve of India’s QF match with Australia…sharing some all time classic quotations from the mouth of the one and only Sidhu! 

Lets hope that Sachin’s willow manages to silence him in addition to the aussie brats.  

Sidhuisms

1.     That ball went so high it could have got an air hostess down with it
2.     Experience is like a comb that life gives you when you are bald.
3.     Sri Lankan score is running like an Indian taximeter
4.     Statistics are like miniskirts, they reveal more than what they hide.
5.     The Indians are going to beat the Kiwis! Let me tell you, my friend that the Kiwi is the only bird in the whole world, which does not have wings!
6.     As uncomfortable as a bum on a porcupine.
7.      The ball whizzes past like a bumble - bee and the Indians are in the sea.
8.     Indian team without Sachin is like giving Kiss without a Squeeze.
9.     You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg.
10.  Kumble’s bowling at the moment is flat as a Dosa. 

TsunaMe

Tsuna “Me”

They say that the saline content of the water fluid in an expectant mothers belly is identical to that of the ocean. That’s why our tears are salty …we all have a little bit of the sea in us.

But when the ocean inside or in this case – the ocean outside is in a fit of fury. What can one do but possible try and stay afloat…?

I live next to the sea.

Last Friday though, my usual wave and surf view was not as comforting.

 I knew the sun was setting and that his fleeting kisses would make the waters blush a fiery red. But I couldn’t tear myself away from the new channels showing the ugly aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Japan and the subsequent Tsunami.

As I saw the angry brown waves rush ashore and sweep away life and any semblance of it – my gaze wandered to the waves gently lapping the shores of my world outside my window. And I could not help but wonder … is this the same sea?  …the same waves that are crashing the lives of thousands, gently lapping at my minds shore…

It made me think about my life and my experiences with tsunami’s of a far more personal nature. It made me wonder if I had been too quick to blame the people responsible and for judging them to be bad based on the nature of the damage.

Maybe these people that once hurt me were also like the sea …calm and gentle with some and raging bulls with others – based on the nature of the personal earthquake and how much it had shaken their world.

Maybe there is no such thing as good people or bad people. Maybe – its just a bunch of good people who make terrible decisions that cause great havoc to others.  Maybe we are all on one side of that ocean or the other or the angry wave itself depending on the situation.

And maybe sometimes – we are just in the way of the storm...with no option to run or hide…just let the water soak us silly