One Giant Leap for Mankind

It was a July night of 1969. Expectancy and anxiety in the air.

Your guess is correct. I am talking about the American lunar mission: Apollo 11.

All of us were awake, awaiting the success of the Apollo mission.

You will ask: What an Indian family had to do with an American event? Even my young mind had sort of questions.

Elder brothers and our parents discussed and explained to us it was not just an American event. It was going to be a great achievement for mankind. If successful, this mission would not only glorify the history of man, but would also open up the new doors for the progress of human race.

See! This is where the family plays a role in the development of thinking and philosophy.

I am not only an Indian. You are not only an American. We all belong to the same race - the human race. Let us share our sorrows and joys. Let us share our moments of glory and pride. We were charged high with these thoughts. We sat praying for the success of the mission.

TV was uncommon in those days. Forget about trans-continental live telecasts! Radio was the only popular medium.

The radio helped us "visualizing" the historic moment of man's landing on the moon. Even for radios, there was no 24x7 broadcast yet! The local All India Radio would go off the air at 11 pm!

We had to tune in to the VOA-the Voice of America. The commentary on the VOA. How exciting it was! And the Lunar Module "Columbia" landed on the moon. Great!

Next few hours, we frequently tuned in to the radio. Finally, Armstrong set foot on the moon. "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

The radio was jubiliant. We were exhilarated. We had shared one of the most glorious moments of the history of human race!

No international call facilities. No SMS. No Internet. No e-mails. In our minds, we congratulated the mentors of the mission. And prayed for the brighter future of mankind.

There are a few great people behind the great achievements. But besides them, there are millions of faceless souls, too.

The First Glimpse of Mother Nature

The school days.

Walking down to school.

All along the road was indistinct, dusty footpath with some grassy patches. A few weeds, here and there.

A handful of tiny flowers smiling on small green plants. Colorful and friendly. Eager to hug you as you walk past them.

The scenario would go on changing month after month. The changes would bring sparkle to our eyes. Not even a change of tint would escape our notice! And we would enjoy those changes!

A variety of shady trees along the road.

The wind would gently brush past us, go high up through the branches of the trees, producing rustling sounds of the leaves. It was quite melodious to the ears.

We would look up. The top brances of the trees. High above them. The clouds. The vast, endless sky. The expanse of its blue colour.

We learnt to grow extremely sensitive to the surroundings. To the nature. To its diversified manifestations.

All that would fill our heart with rapture ineffable!

We would bow down to Mother Nature!

We had, thus, the first glimpse of Mother Nature, its beauty, its exuberance.

The First Impression

The memories of school days.

The period: Late '60s.

Along with friends I used to go to school on foot. Nearly 15 minutes' walk.

What a pleasant time it used to be!

The neonate asphalt road of a recently-born suburb.

Walker-friendly non-crowded road. Few slow-moving bicycles. A couple of two-wheelers. An occasional four-wheeler. That was all that constituted the traffic.

A pleasant world. No rush, no race to reach early.

No signals, no zebra-crossing. Not a single policeman in sight. But still the traffic would flow smoothly.

Every vehicle, every person would proceed without announcing priority or spelling superiority. They would not ignore our tiny existence!

Not long ago we had stepped out of the mother's lap, the most secured paradise of a child.

And we observed that the world outside was not less secured.

It was the first impression of the unfamiliar faces. The first impression of the outer world.

And that was how faith and trust began to course through our veins.

Rainy Season

Rainy season.

They say the rainy season has already set in.

Where is the rain in my city?

Over the last few days, we witnessed heavy down-pour.

Water-logged streets. The city flooded with water.

But where is the rainy season of yesteryears?

Where is the cool wind that used to annunciate the arrival of the rains?

Where is the fascinating fragrance of the first rains?

Where is the refreshing freshness of the season?

Where is the lush, green bed of grass and weeds that would crop up along the roads?

Oh! Rainy Season! Rediscover your identity!