Men are but Little Boys !!

Someone has rightly said about we guys..that deep inside we are just little boys..fond of our toys..be them gadgets, cars, bikes, etc etc etc. Maybe true but arguable - what say?

This reminds me of one incident dating back to 1998. Had just moved to the city of dreams. First job. First salaries. Picked up a few scale model bikes and treasured them a lot. But couldn't resist taking them out at night and inspect them for details.

One such night late at about 1:00 AM i picked up the 1:12 BMW R 1100 GS and as lil boys would do..started playing with it. Rotated the wheels. Turned the handle. Checked the working suspension. and then did a trial run on the bed. felt nice. So now got off the bed and made an obstacle course out of the folded bedsheet, quilt pillow a few books and then 'started ' the bike at one end, trying to mimic the 'real' roar of the boxer twin. Then started off with a wheelie, bike in right hand slowly turning the bike to lift the wheel, accelerating and increasing the humming as i did and took the first jump across the bumpy pillow. Screeched to a halt at the other end of the bed. Blipped the throttle a couple of times..vroom vroom ..dumped the clutch and then blowing some imaginary dust sped ahead towards the other side of the closed circuit...braked hard..drifted and turned around wheelie again..a yank at the handlebars..and liftoff..followed by a nice impressive 'backflip' in slow motion (the FIRST on a BMW R 1100 GS ever ;-) ) and a hard landing on the bedspread..applied front brake..a rolling stoppie and as i slowed down..flipped the bike around to ready myself for the next jump......

I thought i head something behind me so i stopped. cut the engine ( stopped the sound i was making) and turned around. My Grandpa/Guardian Mr M L Joshi (Dada) and buddy Tushar were standing behind me. Sleepy but shocked. Jaws dropped. Trying to decipher what was happening. Dada mustered up some courage, cleared his throat and asked - "Is everything all right ? Should i call your mom?" I burst out laughing and showed them the bike, saying i was just 'practicing'.

Dada shook his head and muttered under his breath -"God help us!". I just turned back and resumed my motocross session. Well that was 1989 and this is 2011. years have passed. many more scale models have been added to my kitty since then but then even today when i hold a 1:18 Valentino Rossi Ducati MotoGp bike in my hand the instant impulse is to set the wheels on the ground, rev the engine and take off on a spin. sometimes starting with a wheelie ! Guess some things are NOT age dependent. Someone has rightly said, greys in the head may make your speech slow and your words heavier but there is nothing which will stop a man from realizing that actually deep inside he is but just a boy and perhaps behave like one.

You may agree with me..maybe you wont..but if you do see me with my scale models and try to 'exhibit' your smartness with that smirk of yours, it just wouldn't affect my enthusiasm love for these 'toys' or the impulse of wheeling them on ground..yes i may not play accident accident the way i used to when i was 5 but then..i wud definitely pick the bike up and spin the wheel... :-)

So till then...Hope you too enjoy your 'little' bikes as much as you do the 'real' ones !!

The Inside Edge

Couple of years ago on a weekend i was watching one of the epic races of Moto Gp and saw a certain italian racing legend trying to overtake another challenger. Now speed was something which both the motorcycles had. So was Power and perhaps both the riders were equally skilled. Lap after lap after lap they just kept gound round and round. The TV screen view kept flipping between cameras; bike mounted, helmet mounted, on the track. No change in the sequence of the riders !! The distance between the two bikers just kept increasing or decreasing by a few feet every now and then but it was clearly a stalemate situation.

Then came a tight..rather tight.. right hander and the lead rider slowly eased into it, practically drawing a concentric circle parallel to the edge of the curve slowly leaning inside. Confident that the lead would be maintained the lead rider eased on the throttle and dropped a few clicks per hour. Oblivious was he to the fact that the daredevil rider behind him was slowly creeping up closer. Like a bolt from the blue the trailing rider came closer and closer inching inside. He did what seemed like some foolhardy move and took the inside edge, knee moving closer to the brick lined side inches above the red and white painted stripes.

A sweat broke out on the brow of the rider who was leading. he thought - This guy who is taking the inside edge has to be nuts. serioulsy nuts. But then the challenger slowly and steadily held the throttle with confidence and slowly increased his speed as he emerged out of the curve through the inside line with barely enough space or contact patch of rubber but one thing on his mind. I have to take this. I have to win. I have to get ahead. I have to prove it to myself and the world and to my folks and to this moron who is blocking me...who is the champ here.

Time stood still, the curve seemed endless, his eyes blinked, small drops of perspiration trapped in between his eyelashes, creating the slightly misty view of the road ahead. The 4 cylinder engines roared as the trailing bike emerged ahead of the lead bike as the curve ended. The road straightened up into one smooth stretch of nicely grippy tarmac and a continued twisting of the throttle was enough to increase the lead from a few bike lengths to more.

The new winner looked behind at the once leading rider ducking under the small windscreen trying to build speed on the straight. Engines howling, redlining. A small smirk lit up his face. He had the inside edge and he took it. Now there is no looking back. Was there risk involved? of course there was! Was there a chance of a failure and a possible crash? Of course there was. But there was something bigger than that probability. It was the probabilty of taking the curve properly with skill with grace and most importantly with guts.

The world belongs to people who have it inside them. Who have guts. Who dont fear taking calculated risks. Running numerous mathematical formulae inside their minds before taking that plunge and the inside edge. Who are prepared to brace themselves if there is a fall. The world allows such people to win; maybe not effortlessly but definitely allows them to win. a victory they definitely deserve.

As the champ crossed the finish line he noticed the chequered flag waving frantically through the corner of his eye. He heard the crowd stand up and cheer aloud. He heard the engines roar and the winds howl. But above all of it he was still hearing his heart pound. The heart which pumped in those extra opunces of adrenaline spiked fluid to twitch his gloved fingers and tighten his butt as he slid into that curve on the inside. Focussing straight at the narrow yet achievable opening and came out victorious.

There shall come a time in your life when you will feel that the system is right there in front of you trying to block every move you are making when the conventional methods don't work and when corporate hierarchy stops you from speaking out your mind. Then its time to take the inside edge. To understand the risk and judge and believe your own capabilities. To overtake the person who is blocking your success by taking a risk. A well measured risk which would pay off as you cross the line. Its here on the inside edge that fear needs to be conquered. Its here that the handlebar needs to be held firmly but not tightly. No room for white knuckles here, that's perfect recipe for disaster. Its here when you need to resist the urge to open the index finger and pull in the brake lever to slow you down. Its here that the throttle and effort needs to be unleashed. Your true potential is NOT decided by who leads you but by how you take the curve even if it means taking it on the inside edge.

Next time before you say "Yes Sir" to your boss or agree to your peers blindly or even get discouraged by what your parents, spouse, and relatives say.. remind yourself, it was you who slowed down and let him go ahead on the previous curve; so now stand up say NO and take the inside edge. Dont get scared when the white and red stripes come closer. Dont shake when you feel the tyre is getting closer to the edge. Think of the world champ. If he could do it, so can you. So take the inside edge. Take a risk. Make your mark; because only ONE guy gets to stand tallest on the podium. One who recognizes his potential and one who is ready to take a risk when blocked by the system.

Be what you are. be what you want to be. Be what you deserve to be. Its all inside you. You just need to take the inside edge. Its tight no doubt but you can come out of it. Take it with skill and take it smartly. Most importantly take it with GUTS.

People will discourage you. People will play spoilsport. No one likes to be defeated. But you need to be the winner here. So do what your guts tell you. Do what you believe in and what you can pull off. And it shall be you out there spraying champagne on everyone.

Remember: The world belongs to those who know their potential and are ready to take the inside edge !!