WHY, SOMETIMES, METEORS FALL...

 

 

I need not know, why there is such a deafening roar

Near the sea shore;

I need not know, why, sometimes, meteors fall;

I need not know, why my brother laughs when I brood,

Why the sun burns and I cry;

I need not know, why someone loves a sword

When I love a pen…

I need to know this:

Everything is important, everyone counts!

I had scribbled this Note – call ‘Poem’ if you wish - in my diary some fifteen years ago. Then, after five years or so, when I was putting together some of my Notes to publish, this Note, this poem, popped up like a Genie in the bottle… and stood before be! So, it became the title of the book: ‘Why The Sun Burns!”

I began my Introduction with this poem… 

It still haunts me!

Why some things, in Life, happen the way they do?
 

Why some people come in our lives the way they do?

Why sometimes dreams… and why sometimes nightmares?

Why this uproar in my soul, why this silence… sometimes?

The more I reflect on these questions, the more convinced I become: Some things are beautiful when they come clothed in mystery!

So, let the Sun Burn… Let the sea roar… Let my brother laugh while I cry… Let someone love a sword while I love a pen… but, I want the meteors to fall… I want my soul to wonder… struck with awe!

On 10^th September, 1989, THE DAWN CLUB was born. I had taken the initiative to start this institution with the hope that, down the years, I along with my well-wishers, students and friends, would be able to help people – particularly the youth – in leading an inspired life. Frankly, like any other young kid, I too had started it with stars in my eyes, love in my heart and fire in my belly. There were hundreds of students in that auditorium… and, there were some fine speakers to bless us. But, I knew, it was for me to stand there and take a public oath and I had done that:

“As long as I live, I will see that this institution will not die… It will not die… It will not die…”

Fr. Bosco, who was there on the dais as one of the key speakers had noticed my passion and fire… He has cautioned in his speech that Institutions die when the ‘egos’ come to rule… and, I knew, he had meant well for me… He hoped, this institution would not be cursed with that fate.

Vimmi Batra, who now lives with her family in Delhi, had just completed her graduation when we started the Dawn Club. She was one of those vibrant young ones who had clustered around me as my cheer leaders and pumped me on to go ahead. That afternoon, Vimmi along with Sunita Pai (Now in Bangalore) had anchored the event. It was a dream start anyone can ever hope to get… 

I felt blessed. Special!

Life goes on… and, we all in life move on!

My students, hundreds of them, 

who had stood by me then, 

and who came after that, 

over all these years, to stand by me… 

all have moved on in life. 

I have not been able to keep in touch 

with all of them… 

Many of them have young kids 

and they have sent them to me with great pride:

 ‘He was MY teacher!”

Well, all these things happen in life… and, you feel a lot fulfilled and proud as well.

But, why did I start the Dawn Club is still a mystery to me! How could so many of my students come close to me to cheer up was still a mystery to me… How so many gifted trainers and professionals volunteered to lend their support, without any expectations, over all these years is still a mystery to me… Why I scribble my daily thoughts for years and years, is still a mystery to me… Why I took so much time to come on Blog… and, come on FB… why I am still shy to blow my trumpet, in any form or tune, is still a mystery to me…!

“Sir, is Dawn Club is still going?” It is not even a month since I came on FB. I had lost contact with Vimmi (like with so many others). So, understandably, when Vimmi came in contact with me through this medium, the first thing she asked me was: “Sir, is Dawn Cub still going?”

I wasn’t surprised. I reminded her about the public oath I had taken that afternoon in the auditorium, all overwhelmed by my emotions. “Yes sir, I still remember,” Vimmi replied. 

So, it meant, the oath is still not broken!

Then in August 2009, almost after twenty years, when we had a sort Dawn Club re-union, I tried to get in touch with as many as possible. But, in vain. That afternoon, in the magical auditorium of TISS, I found myself as emotional as I had been in Sep 1989. The stars were same in my eyes… the love was same in my heart… the fire was same in my belly! I was still overwhelmed; I was still taking oath, in public!

Why do I do it?

It is still a mystery to me!

On this re-union day, a mysterious thing had happened. Nitya Mohan, who was just given her tenth-standard exam, and Anupam Acharya, who had just given his twelfth, had come together on the stage to take a collective oath: ‘‘We shall take this torch forward!”

I was moved from by being!

Well, Life goes on… and, we all in life move on!

I lost contact with Nitya and Anupam. They had to go about their own lives… and, they have wonderfully. 

Now, all of a sudden, both Nitya and Anupam have come back in my life! And, I see myself saying “Yes!” more and more times!

When I opened my PC this morning, the first thing I saw was Nitya’s message to me. “Sir, I am bringing all the DAWNITES together… through the FB…”

I haven’t gotten back to Nitya, yet! I am writing this Post touched by what she is doing.

I saw Vimmi joining Nitya’s bandwagon… and, I have one more reason to believe in great mysteries in life.

Why some things, in Life, happen the way they do?

Why some people come in our lives, the way they do?

Why meteors fall and my soul dances?...

Some things are beautiful when they come clothed in such mystery…

Life is beautiful… Oh yes, it is!!!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.: 1. Gloria Pinto

         2. Raj Dhage