NOT THE CHINESE WALL... BUT THE CHINESE BAMBOO
Many years ago, a 17-year-old girl was
speaking in one of our Public-speaking sessions. She hailed from a family that
ran one of the well-known hospitals in Mumbai. So, while introducing her, I,
unwittingly, made a remark without a hint about what I would have to hear after
that. I said to the audience, “They own one of the top hospitals.”
The girl felt a lot embarrassed on hearing
my words, “No sir… That’s my dad’s hospital. I have to earn my own place.”
Mr. Ramakrishnan, our senior trainer, was so
impressed by what he had just heard, he asked the audience to give her a
standing ovation…
The girl was even more embarrassed… When the
ovation ended and all sat down, she said with equal grace and confidence, “I
would rather earn a standing ovation for my speech than for that one remark I just
made.”
I do not know where this girl – now, a
full-grown lady – today is… But, I do know this: wherever she is, she must have
earned her own place under the Sun.
It takes a great deal of maturity and self-confidence
to walk the path less-trodden. The statement which the young girl had made,
some twenty-five years ago, has always stayed with me ever since… Like a
Lighthouse, at times, it gives me direction… not to succumb to short cuts and
not to possess anything which I do not deserve… which I haven’t earned on my
own!
Two days ago, I was listening to Rahul Dravid
conversation at the Bangalore Literature Festival, where Rajdeep Sardesai’s
book on cricket, ‘Democracy's XI’, was launched. It’s during this conversation,
that I first learnt that the cricketing Legend – who was hailed as ‘THE WALL’
for his patience, poise and resilience – had declined honorary Doctorate
degrees from two Universities… Gulbarga University and Bangalore University.
When I searched for more details on it, I learnt, that Dravid had thanked the
University for showering upon him the great honor, but, he would rather earn
the Doctorate degree, one day, through his research on sports than this way!
“After all, it was an ‘honorary Doctorate
degree’ and it’s a common practice… Celebrities and achievers, who have huge accomplishments
in their respective fields, accept such Doctorates even though they do not have
academic qualification to back them” … Yes, we may debate on this matter with
this logic. But, for Dravid, that was it!
Some years ago, I came across one more speech
of Rahul Dravid… Here he was addressing graduating students of a reputed institution.
He shared with the young boys and girls
the Legend of Chinese Bamboo’. It had been one of favourite stories… I had been
telling our own young students this story and showing its video for many, many
years…
They say, that the Chinese bamboo grows 90 feet
in six months. But, the fact is this: the farmer plants the bamboo seed in the
ground and waits with patience and faith for five long years before he is able
to see the first sight of the sprout – the baby shoot. After that, within six
months, the baby bamboo grows up into a 90-foot giant! One can literally see it
growing before his eyes!
What was the seed doing under the ground for
those five long years?
That’s the message Rahul Dravid, the Legend,
wanted to part away with to those aspiring boys and girls who were all, now,
set to ‘earn their degrees’…
Despite growing up into a great cricketing Legend,
Dravid still felt he had to wait for many more years to receive his Doctorate
degree… till he earned it through the hard way and felt he deserved it. No
wonder, therefore, we hailed him as ‘THE WALL’… For, this gentleman cricketer possessed
patience, poise, resilience – and above all, humility – in loads and loads and
loads…
A standing ovation!
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic.: Gettysimages/Hindustan Times
Video: YouTube
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