Life Etc Etc

We are better if we lift ourselves through dire times Until Next Time, Your Philosopher of Life, Chaitanya J.J.

Until Next Time, Your Observer of Life, Chaitanya J.J.  

It has been a topsy-turvy year to say the least. Things have started to open up, people seem more relaxed, there's also a hint of normalcy yet there is more to it than what meets the eye. We are not fully out of the pandemic but sport along with its myriad incarnations is back in a major way. This in my opinion has been a substantial factor in driving out the gloom that had settled in since the onset of the pandemic. But sport by itself is nothing without the unbelievable individuals who permeate its every fabric. I was fortunate to witness the fascinating stories of some very talented sports people this year. Here in this blog I will try to do my best to not only recount those stories but also the various lessons that can be gleaned from them. So let's begin! Lesson 1 - You can't have it all Rarely has a tennis player looked so complete and as perfect as Novak Djokovic in full bloom. The year 2021 was set to be his signature year. He trampled competition at the Australian

  Until Next Time, Your Quotemaster, Chaitanya J.J. 

Yet another loss to New Zealand in an ICC tournament but this didn't sting as much . Probably because we were outplayed the moment we picked two spinners on a green pitch under overcast conditions or was it when Indian batsmen lost their sense of purpose when all they had to do was bat for time on the all important final day. No that's not it, what beat us was our scheduling! We didn't even have a practice match while New Zealand was preparing itself for the WTC Final with a series against England . That's not it too, we picked three guys who hadn't bowled together as a unit for the past one year and left out the in-form Siraj. That's it, that's the reason we lost.  Mace of the champions (Courtesy: Free Press Journal ) The reasons could be many but the fact is we lost to a better side. Through all the rain and numerous interruptions one side never lost its focus and that side won. This is an undeniable fact and unlike the 2019 semi-final we were never c

Italian Open Final : Third Set, One set All, Two games all and 30-40 in favor of Djokovic Djokovic had Nadal in all sorts of trouble forcing him to retrieve a down the line shot. Nadal could only get a one handed backhand to it, the ball looped up into air with Djokovic setting himself up for a crosscourt forehand smash. Djokovic never misses shots like these, I certainly expected him to make it but Tennis Gods probably had other plans for him. Nole's safe hands deserted him as he promptly deposited the ball into the net. It was a lucky reprieve for Rafa and I remember telling my father that the shot could probably cost Nole the championship. In half an hour's time my words would be vindicated as Rafa found his form and thundered away to his 10th championship at Foro Italico . This wasn't the first time I seemed to read the minds of tennis gods, my words would prove fatal in the semifinal too. Lorenzo Sonego was about to complete a remarkable turnaround with three break

  Until Next Time, Your Inspirer, Chaitanya J.J. 

My thoughts as of January 1st, 2021 2020 just passed me by. It started off with lofty ambitions before nosediving and finally settling itself on a precarious cliff. The sights from the cliff are beautiful, the light on the horizon is magnificent but there's danger and harrowing depths all around this cliff. I don't know how we got here and have to figure out where to go from here. I share this confusion, this lack of direction and the same precarious situation with billions of others around the globe.  For the first time in a long long time we had a year which united us. We were: United in our confinement  United in having our lives stalled mid-way United in our inability to chase our dreams United in our frustrations United in our solitude I never knew misery could unite us the way no happiness or victory ever did . But if we put the misery aside for a moment, aren't we fundamentally all lucky to at least have a roof on our heads while this pandemic rages on? What about th