Tags:
Journalism of Courage
I know nothing of ying and yang. But I can tell a good vibration when I feel one. And I have inevitably felt it at a newly opened saloon near my place, run by a team of three boys 8212; none of whom were over 22 years.
Despite their youth, they were deft with their hands and displayed the same confidence in handling the array of modern 8216;tools8217; on the shelf. There was an unmistakably professional and efficient aura about their work place. Four o8217;clock on Sunday evening is my chosen time for a haircut.
After this mandatory exchange he set about to work on my hair. I closed my eyes and settled down to enjoy the gradual build up of the weight loss.
8216;OUTOO!8217; The sudden yell from the street jolted me out of my stupor. Before I could recover from the shock, I got another. My hairdresser, on hearing the noise, had instantly dropped the scissors and rushed out to take the bat instead. Accentuating my disbelief, I saw that the dismissed batsman coming in towards me. He took up from where his colleague had left. I suppose I may have remained in that state of shock longer, had it not been for the shout from the new batsman:8216;Prakasa, shortu!8217;
I went livid. Did they take me for a joker who could be treated so shabbily? I swivelled the chair around and brought myself to face the cricket game. And I saw him. Poised for a strike, a picture of concentration; face aglow in anticipation of the magnificent swipe that he was about to execute. My anger melted.
He appeared, not as my truant barber, but as a youth no different from my own sons or the neighbourhood boys. And, as one who had once played hours of gully cricket, I knew exactly what it felt like in that moment of importance. I resigned to be a sport and allow myself to be 8216;finished8217; by the new comer.
After the lapse of another five minutes, there was a joyous chorus of 8216;bowled8217;! My heart went out for my man, who I saw had already flung the bat and was returning to reclaim his position behind my back. Still, in my patronising mood, I gently sounded the youngster on the importance of putting work above fun, in the interest of business. 8216;Sorry, sir,8217; he said smiling, 8216;but you see, we are a sakkath team here, all equally good.8217;
I suppose the positive energy I was speaking of in that place was what was oozing out from the boys. And when I looked at the finished work there was nothing to complain. I would say, without any reservation, that the boys were poised for success.
