DAY 2 NIA PUNE, 22nd MAY 2000, MONDAY – TRAINING BEGINS – The dust free environment, the walking track, the rabbits, the sunrise and the cool morning breeze – I could not have wished for more. To top it all, I had the world’s time to be with myself – a person with whom I have not spent time for many years.
After an hour’s morning walk, the Wah Taj dip tea served at the room tasted like nectar. As I was not knowing other participants, I spent my morning time with the two prototype Branch Managers. Fresh Orange juice, crisp toast with unlimited butter, hot porridge, eggs and poha formed my sumptuous breakfast. It was (I was later informed by many) a better breakfast than the one that the better half prepares at home, grudgingly.
Suddenly, a tall magnificent looking young lady with Indira Gandhi haircut in her Zari Salwar Kameez entered the dining hall with a careless, cultivated sexy elephant walk. Everybody’s eyes followed her probingly. I was no exception. From her demeanor and age, I guessed that she could be one of the participants and made a mental note to talk to her.
All the participants assembled at 9.30am in the lecture hall – I. We were expected to introduce ourselves. I expected the same old boring routine. But what happened in the Lecture Hall about the participants’ mutual introduction was an enthralling experience!
Our course coordinator and Faculty Member Mr. L. K. Dash and Smt. D. Vijayalakshmi Faculty Member took us the exquisitely built M.P. Hall (Multipurpose Hall), where all the participants were made to stand in two circles – one inner and the other outer. The people standing in the inner and the outer circles, who were facing each other moved in opposite directions. After moving a while, we stopped. All the participants were told to talk to the member standing opposite to him separately for couple of minutes. I was made to introduce that partner of mine to the entire group and tell the group those two good qualities / traits that I observed and liked of my partner.
Thus, through this exercise not only I came to know all the participants well, but also the initial unfounded apprehensions about other participants were wiped out. I felt as if I have known all the other participants for a long time! It has also become absolutely evident as to how difficult it is to tell few good things about others. I was happy to know Ms. Rupa, an A.O. in the HRD Dept., Central Office, Mumbai and Ms. Rajeshwari, A.O., ZTC, Bhopal.
The pungent odor of LIC was very strong in the discussions among the participants. They were still in their offices though they were told to live at N.I.A.! Maybe it will take some time or only the time will tell.
Let me end my dairy with One Minute Wisdom. Many people/organizations talk about success. What I feel about success is…
What is Success?
Success is Success!
Who is Success?
Success is a bastard.
A bastard? How?
Well, it has many fathers!!!
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional. What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
