My Musings

 An arduous but loving childhood  Where resources were sparse But love was plentiful.   The eldest son, responsibilities umpteen he had; Many mouths to be fed, the weight of the family he had to bear.   Familial duty he never considered burdensome, Albeit the distance away from them was worrisome   Simple and humble his beginnings, His brahmachari life he dedicated to his siblings.   A self made man, he chartered his own course with élan, He broke the rules, with firm conviction he followed his plans   Meagre were his needs but large and generous his heart; Little did he know, at 38, his life was just about to start!     Providence intervened, halting his solitary life “Its about time you get yourself a wife !”     The maiden, swept off her feet, by a man so spirited, feisty and full of courage, Who had nary a thought for societal rules; high handedness of a groom, characteristic of ...

  I vividly remember Athimber reviewing the last pages of the  mortal being  by Atul Gawande at my home in Kochi on a sunny afternoon. The key takeaway he remarked to me, "   A life well-lived is better than a life outlived . " Pretty original! I remember this scene like it was just the other day.  He loved words; especially it's interplay . In his 82 years of storied life, he played steady test cricket. He always gave more premium to guarding his wicket than getting out of the crease. At times he was a happy non-striker patiently watching the ball roll by. He knew being on guard was more critical than playing for the stands. He was a debt market trader who understood the power of compounding. He quoted Keynes to me once in Hyderabad while dismissing my career anxieties.  " In the long run, we are all dead."   He was an engineer by profession. However, in his heart, he was a supply chain guy! A curious one at that. He asked many existential quest...