THE NINETY-PLUS CLUB

 




“Keep a little fire burning,

however small, however hidden.”

Cormac McCarthy

 

Being a Catholic, I grew up celebrating Mother Mary’s birthday on September 8… We called it ‘the Feast of Nativity’.

Coming September 8, the legendary singer, Asha Bhosleji, will celebrate her 90th birthday in her authentic style - with a Broadway-style concert in Dubai! After this concert, we will start saying, “She is 90-Plus”!

Age is only a number… Yes, it is all in our mind. Mind stays young, body stays young… Mind feels old, body feels old.

Ashaji’s zest for life is infectious… It inspires the young generation, the girls in particular…





I had taught Dhiraj during 1989-90. Two days ago, almost 34 years later, he called me, out of the blue. He wanted me to teach his daughter, Vriddhi (Podar College, Class X1). “Sir, she has been a 90-plus girl throughout,” Dhiraj sounded modest, “You will be happy to know, that my wife and I did not have to coax her or motivate her in any manner… She has always been self-motivated and disciplined.”

I felt happy on hearing what Dhiraj was saying about his young daughter…

“That breed is very rare,” I said to Dhiraj, “let me confess: if your daughter comes to learn from me, even I may not have to coax or motivate her… It would be my pride to be a part of her success journey.”

Last evening, this journey was flagged off… Well-begun is half done, they say. If so, we have begun well…

Marks have never fascinated me, at all. Maybe, it was because of my own school and early-college years… I was not at all good in studies… Marks were poor. To make my condition worse, I suffered from a nagging inferiority-complex… I was filled with self-doubts, and I felt terribly worthless…

My change had begun to happen much later… during my degree-college days, to be precise. I was hugely inspired by my teacher, Prof. B.S. Raman, and the Law of Attraction did the rest for me… “Whatever you deeply like and admire, you attract.” I liked and admired my teacher so much, that I was dreaming to become like him – a fine teacher and a writer (He had written every Commerce text-book) …

So, marks did not do it for me; my burning desire, determination and perseverance did it. It seems ironical, that I have spent more than four decades teaching in my ‘coaching institute’ without worrying about the marks of my students… Yes, marks came, invariably, as the ‘by-product’ of our efforts… The main product has been, always, love for the subject – the passion and the zest for life…

If a young one’s 90-plus marks come with this passion and zest, blessed will be that young life. “Vriddhi is grasping quickly. She is logical and, as you said, very eager and self-motivated,” I reported to Dhiraj, Vriddhi’s father (who I had taught more than 34 years ago). I had, also, added, “She is well-brought up, very grounded… And, I don’t think, that she needs anything more to succeed in life. Glad to be a part of that journey. Blessings.”





Asha Bhosleji will soon belong to the 90-plus club, and her legendary elder sister, late Lata Mangeshkarji, had belonged to this coveted club, too. But, both have humbly repeated, “Mein padi likhi nahin hoon.”

May my 16-year-old student, Vriddhi add that legendary passion and zest to her own 90-plus.

Blessings!

 

GERALD D’CUNHA


Pic’s: 1. WallpaperCave 2. Pixels

Video: moneycontrol

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