Gerald D'Cunha

“Grace is the free, undeserved goodness and favour of God to mankind.” Matthew Henry A dear friend of mine, who never forgets to wish me on my birthday, sounded a bit anxious, this morning (23 rd July). “Was your b’day yesterday, or is it tomorrow?” she messaged me to check, “Hope, I haven’t missed it.” “Don’t worry, you haven’t missed it,” I calmed my friend down, “It’s tomorrow.” “Thank God,” my friend said with a sigh of relief, “I will call you tomorrow.” “L ive as if there is no tomorrow.” Often, this line is used in a negative sense… If one lives carelessly, this line suits him. In Goa, such a casual and laid-back attitude to life is called ‘ Susegad ’… ‘Khao, piyo, maja karo’ ! But, what about Pumbaa and Timon’s African philosophy - ‘Hakuna Matata’, in the movie ‘The Lion King’? Is it an attitude of being ‘careless’ or ‘carefree’? Have I been, predominantly, ‘careless’ in my life, or ‘carefree’? I really do not know… But, one ...

Pic.: M. D. Jeurkar W hen I came to Mumbai – then Bombay - city in October 1980, all that I came with was: my burning desire teach... My dad’s brother was kind enough to accommodate me in his small BARC quarters, which were located in the sleepy corner called Mandala. He was an ex-service man and was a driver with Indian Army; he had spent many years of his service in J &K terrains. At the fag-end of his bond period, my uncle had joined the Christian congregation called ‘Jehovah Witnesses’... whose uncompromising religious-tenets would not allow my uncle to hold a gun or even take blood during surgeries.. So, he chose to retire as soon as his bond period got over and joined BARC as a driver for top officials out there... Now, the reason I chose to live with my uncle was that he was a thorough gentleman, incredibly disciplined... The tough military-regimen and now the rock-solid religious -grounding had made him the man he was... a true soldier in life! ...