Thoughts in Words

“Old soldiers never die…they just fade away”, is an adage. That is, as a Soldier, if you live long enough to be old. Amen. I am a soldier and am old now. As a child, growing up to be a boy in Kerala, I used to stand alone at the gate near the vast paddy fields at dusk and watch the setting Sun painting the sky in crimson and red and in its various hues, the many flock of birds flying home in amazing formations and the day giving in to the oncoming night. Very much like the “Handing over Taking over” ceremony as used to happen in the Army. There was a child’s exhilaration and wonderment. That memory lingers but the scene has faded. Schooling in Madras had many friends, mostly sports groups. As it would have it, I can hardly remember their names except for a couple or so. There was one weirdo Hariharan who used to read Dictionary like a story book! As we were leaving school, we all had fully filled autograph books, in which we wrote creatively. Now I can’t locate where those prec

          Certain events may seem regretful on occurrence or due to non-occurrence, as the case may be. Later, on looking back, it would seem to have been for the good after all! That is my belief and here is why. After all, the Almighty sitting up in the clouds with silvery flowing beard and smoking a pipe with a smile that never fades, has plans for each of us. At least for me, for sure, personally speaking. Regret one. Rejection by Merchant Navy. Perhaps this was my first major regret. I had just completed Pre-University. Got the brochure of INS Dufferin and was impressed, especially with the sports activities that included boxing, to which I was never introduced but had a sneaky liking. I applied in all eagerness. Written exam was a breeze. In the medical, got caught in the eye test. The good doctor tried to encourage me - he seemed to want me to pass the test somehow - in the pitch-dark room where I had to identify red, green and amber colours, which slowly became smaller and

  RETIREMENT Not going into the etymology and different usages of the word, I think I have been retiring from various activities, by and by.   The first, as my memory points out, was when I was in the final year of graduation. I wanted to retire from studies, already having undertaken the adventurous and the long and arduous journey for one too many years. The way out seemed, donning the Army Uniform. Turned out, it was a bad idea. The Army forced me to do study by way of various courses; on an average of every five years of my three decades plus service! On the contrary, though much against the principle of “never volunteer in the Army”, whichever course I volunteered for, the Army stately ignored.   Then at the age of thirty I had to retire from football. It was because a senior, a perfect zero in sports, cast his evil eye, about five years before. He asked; “How long will you play games? Till thirty? Then you will break your arm or leg and then that will be the end of your sports”.