Cancer

Today my brother's closest friend died. Battling form cancer which was diagnosed only about eight months back leaves one is state of dismay about how life is so unpredictable.

Life is definitely unpredictable, but are we really vulnerable to this unpredictability? NO, we are more vulnerable to the choices we make during those unpredictable circumstances. We realize now that if it was not for chemotherapy, Sanjeet would have lived longer...are we right in our thinking? can we make this assumption?

Well the tumor on his pancreas were 13 cms when it was diagnosed last December 2012, he went for a general medical check up not even thinking that it was necessary, unfortunately it turned out that it was a tumor, detected by ultrasound.. what happened was an unsuccessful attempt to operate on and remove it, so began the proceeding 8 cycles of chemotherapy.

As soon as the chemotherapy cycles were done, what seemed only a gradual development of tumor, spread and multiplied as if the chemotherapy was fueling the rapacious growth. Would he have survived  more longer if the chemo was not done? This is the question at large....

Did we do the right choice by option for chemo? well the doctors advised it! so surely for the sake of good and best choice we went for it. Chemo was to kill the alien cells, but what about the good ones, would they have an eternal shield and the divine power to tolerate and fend the poisonous medications. Well the doctors thought the medications were sacred and that it would not harm the good cells, so how could we possibly imagine a situation where we think about this.

We also wonder if doctors ever think about life as life itself? possibly not. What they presume is that the key to good life lies their science.  Agreed that doctors have a long and arduous training in their profession and that they are destined to save lives by their oath, but at what cost?.

Going purely by science has cost many lives, and will create more misery. Life is not science, life is an art. With the excellent knowledge that doctors have about the human body, what is needed is not they are to be more creative and 
.............

The choices made during the terminal illness is one of that of getting rid of the illness at any cost. But is this all..

Two Greatest Men

Two Greatest Men

I am very proud of myself, proud not because of something that I have achieved or for something I have done. I am proud because I was born in a particular time and the things that co-incidentally happened during that time. I am proud because I lived my dream though others who lived their dreams in their lives.

I am proud because my dreams were realized by witnessing the two great geniuses who are revered by everyone. The two masters who shaped a billion people or more. The two masters who set an example. Two people who led their life in a beautiful way.

The two dated to beat ever opponent in majestic, methodical and fervent way, they never gave up. One was the master of his body and the other the master of the mind. As a psychologist one would not be able to evade the question of whether the mind shapes the body or the body shapes the mind. But here are two examples of exemplars of Indian sports, Tendulkar the master of cricket and Anand the master chess.

Well is it true that one is of body and one is of mind, it’s a philosophical question, I am not a Cartesian and I do not consider the body and mind to be separate entities. But I must say that I have been really lucky to be born the same era as them and have witnessed them to have grown from young to old.

In their growing years both were relentless and strong, both were fierce and competitive. Both never gave up and it was just a matter of time that they would set another record to silence the critique. It was fascinating as a child and as an adult to see how each one stared and built a game, how they shaped an inning and how they played it with all grace and glory. They were exemplars of technique and style. They were masters of mind and body.

One aspired to be them. Their games brought them to new heights and new scaled them to different levels, with each game they grew to new fame and new name. They broke ever record and held it long for everyone to know that it was not just chance. At the top of the word they had the highest power.

Given all this, I would say, I not proud for what they did because they just followed their own passion and lived their own game, they followed and lived their own dreams, so the questions looms large why am I proud of some one who lived their life in their way. Well when I think of this question I am actually reminded of the scene in Super man “With great power comes great responsibility”. At the top of their life they had all the power in the world any one could have and achieve. Why I respect these two gentlemen is not for the honors they got us but the way the lived their lives. Not once did any find them show their pride in what they achieved. Not once were they in wrong books for having misbehaved or showing arrogance, not once where they deceitful. What they know was just the game and nothing else. What they showed is how to be graceful in times of defeat, what they also showed is how to bounce back with effort and sincerity.  What they showed is not just some skill and abilities but humbleness and respect to life. What they showed is how one needs to be human in the spotlight of game. What they showed is grace and fineness.  The only place where they battled were on the field with all rules that allowed them to play. They showed respect not disdain for their fellow opponents.  What they will be remembered is not for their game but for what they did with their lives when they had the greatest power. I am just proud of the time I lived.

Every thing has an end and so do the greatest mortals of my era, one’s body not adjusting to the pace of his mind and one’s mind not holding up with the tiring body. But they are true living legnds of my era, and I will quote them not for what they achieved but for how they lived their life being the greatest men in the world. 

Indian Premier League (IPL)

I have been rather skeptical about the IPL on many counts since the beginning and being an ardent fan and a player myself it has taken quite a while to appreciate this immensely successful event. Its test cricket that truly tests the grit and class of a batsman (player) and not the limited 50 overs game. One just needs to look for samples of centuries that have come from most unexpected players in the limited overs game and its not difficult to find one.

For some reason the batsmen have always stolen the limelight and have always taking the wider acclaim giving an impression that the bowlers and fielders are unimportant so let me start with them. It was pleasure to watch the God men of cricket in the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid, Pointing, Lara, and what made them famous was the the class of shots and the beauty in which the wood connected the leather. Every punch, every drive, every pull, every cut mesmerizingly technical and professional. What is seen now is the great invention of dancing, bending, hopping, twisting, dragging and digging at the ball representing sheer skill and flexibility. No one cares if some one had technique

What has made IPL a runaway success? No one seeks an answer to that. The reasons for success could be many but who have made it a success generates more interest. Cricket was seen mostly as a men's game not the one's who play but for the ones who watch. An average Indian lady would have had Tendulkar's name on the tip of her tongue as a Top of Mind recall (as a good market would call it) but would have found it difficult to name more than five players in the Indian squad. Today it is common to hear young women taking about her favorite team Ir-regard to players.

  The shot form of the game has en-thrilled  the working class in finding solace in the pure entertainment of big hits and dancing cheer leads and its natural relaxer  after a hard days of labour.  It doesnt seem to harm the once insecure house wife whose sentiment was hurt by the husbands obnoxious attachment to every ball being bowled for the whole day and she is relieved that she can have her share of the idiot box for some time of the day.

Probability theory once a prerogative of the high net worth bookies is more thrilling and fun for people big or small, educated or illiterate. What has made the game a success is not the game itself but the void in peoples lives, it has in many ways brought out the repressed feelings of freedom that they craved for in their lives, let the IPL cherish for long time to come as I tell my best friend "Dont waste your youth with IPL"

Dedicated to my Best friend - Swaroop Alias (Aparoopa)