Getting absorbed by a group so naturally is quite a rare thing. Rotary, to me was, belonged to analog times so never really got excited about it, though I understand that they undertake social initiatives. So my interaction with the Rotary Club of Chennai, Kilpauk, on 21st may 2010 was my first one. Samuel Eddy invited me to talk for 10 minutes, the talk should be ‘fun and informative’, he said. So naive as I was, I deduced that Rotary is not fun. So I was getting prepared for a formal iron clad evening at the Taj Connemara.
I had eat my socks. I have not seen such clean and fantastic fun for a long long time. And then I had to quickly rework my mental jottings of what wanted to talk about.. for I knew I would fail miserably if I attempt to be funny.
Hari Ratan, the self confessed ADHD and dyslexia and my senior in school #respect #big respect for my elders.. was fun collecting fines from people. He was like an accusative verb (wren & martin take a walk please).
Ramasubramanian Alwarsamy and me were the guests and we never felt that way. They were so kind that they even listened to me speak and said they liked it. Some even came and spoke to me individually. After some shots of whiskey, and with some avalanche of old memories gushing in after meeting up with Muthu Velu and Srivatsan, i was a bit overwhelmed. Off went a small pack with me tagging along to continue the party at Mani Iyers Think Pad. wowieee.. I was totally de – mubbu-fied. After messing around with some music into the night, it was time to go. Then started my party.
It was time to walk the talk. Me and my big mouth, I had spoken about taking up challenges as opposed to hard work, and competing without strife… Ganesh & Karthikeya mango match….working with the weakness through the strength etc etc…
I was my turn to whistle and enjoy pushing this monster of the bike of mine in the middle of the night. Well I tried doing it with great joy (thaliva take the challenge) when a guy in a funny bike overtook me and turned back and volunteered to tow me to the Petrol bunk.
I came home with this fantastic lesson “when you take up challenges with joy there is many to stand with you, besides you, carry you, help you, bless you, fund you, care for you, advise you, love you, and even tow you”.
Post my interaction at Rotary, all those little niggling fears and doubts that I had about committing my time and effort to work with children in the most challenged conditions seemed to have been towed away. Taking about towing I must thank Samuel Eddy, the ship guy, the self professed king maker and the guy who invited me for this. UP WELLING is a great feeling, it came gift wrapped to me.
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