2020-for record

 When we are too close to an event- we are always under perceived notion of that event being either too trivial or too important. Hence the year2020- may get it's suitable place in our collective history after few years. The year was unsettling for sure. When i started- it was of very great hopes. Because I was prepared for lots and lots of travel. But after March- we were just in state of limbo. The great pandemic put everything to halt. But the year taught me to be more resilient for sure. Like every year- I made the best out of it.

I will record here my personal progress-
I could pay off my home loan debts much earlier than i anticipated. There is always a great sense of achievement when you pay off your major debts. Good thing is- I have experienced them quite a few of them. You feel very hopeful after every event- whether it was for education, home, some kind of improvement, car etc. I could contribute greatly in my social work- I could donate and take part in lot of society work.

ohh- I got elevated as senior IEEE member. One milestone which i was planning to followup and do since 2010.
This year- I got the opportunity to publish many articles (Thanks to my beloved organization!!) but best was one where they put my photo in cover page of a publication I grew up reading. 
This was also the year- when i learnt how to come out of my usual comfort zone. I am always a customer's person. I need to meet, feel, shake hands, talk and talk and then do my sales. Things changed. Could take to the new norm and do end to end selling over virtual meetings. After many years started selling value added services and it was all dejavu. 

This was also the year when i did 3 marquee trainings- cross functional and cross country and came out with flying colors. 

Lot of books- which were half read became fully read. Still many remains...

Got lot of time to teach Birsa- so many stuff. Researched for him and was able to spend so much quality time with him and Amrita. Could find time to teach him some of my favorite topics in Maths.

All credits to him and Amrita for progressing so well in this year- academically and professionally.

Maybe the future will tell us- what was so important about this year. but we all will agree- it made us a believer. Believer that there is much more powerful force called almighty. Believer that love and goodness triumphs- each time and everytime.

The ethereal connections

 Some connections whether short term, slightly longer or very big- leave an aftertaste.

Some very brief connections-- give you memories and turn you around which cannot be explained in proper way. Now you may want me to define the time limit of being brief? Is it like momentary- seconds, some hours of togetherness or some months. For some reasons- the encounters small or big happen to be remembered by me very well. I am an incredibly positive person- so the aftertaste as  talked in earlier lines are always something I savor. Let me try to capture some of these connections.

I was lucky to spend significant time in a wonderland called Kiriburu (see- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiriburu ). The town came with added benefit of schooling in Meghataburu and frequently going to Hill top. It was mini-India and one day for sure I will write a story book on all the people I met there. Some God send connections made there were with many helpers who used to work with us. Simple people from local tribes- who made a deep impact on my outlook to life. Kehtro, Jaypal , Yudhistir and bou-- used to be beacons for a small kid Badsha. The love was unconditional and they taught me stuff which people may not get in best of the elementary schools. Death of Kehtro was one of the earliest experience of death. I remember my ma crying for him, a helping hand but he was part of our family. Jaypal I will remember as one who will condone all my mischiefs. Some very serious ones. But for him- I was always right. Learnt why not to repeat mistakes. Not for punishment, but an ordinary person will get hurt. Then there was Pandey sir- librarian- who first infused me with love for reading. A life long habit.  Chotu- his son, my first best friend (thank God- I am still regularly in touch nearly 40 years of friendship!!). Babai, Biley-- the first fast friends- with whom I used to gang up. The self appointed 'Gundas' of class. The connections were of very brief period but has left a mark on my consciousness. 

Moving on from a small town to a relatively bigger city of Durgapur- brought more connections. that uncle who taught me swimming. I really feel- we had such simple times. some how the garbagebin comics capture those times. The friendships made these times still last. In school, in hostels...Niraj is always the brother I never had. The friend who was actually first 24 by 7 friend. In retrospect- we studied together for only 3 and half years but our friendship transcended all the distance and timelines. I think- we still have some kind of telepathy among ourselves. We can meet and start talking from where we left off- as if it was just minutes ago. Blessed to still be able to talk with him regularly. The hostel life, the time away from home brought many more connections- all very valuable. The associations were of hardly 2 years long or 4 years long but they are still very important for me. 

Momentary meetings, chance meetings- some great ones.
During those early career days as travelling salesperson- when I was fortunate to experience my real country- i.e.. Bharat. I used to frequently use Maharashtra express. Gondia to all the way to Miraj & Kolhapur. The travels were mostly in unreserved compartments- Either Pune to south or Pune to East Maharashtra (To-Fro). I know how easy it is to make friends with a simple farmer of Maharashtra or a proud Maratha.It is very easy to fall asleep on each others shoulders while sitting on floor of train- after sharing of Junka bhakar dinner. Discussing in broken Marathi or Tatsam Hindi- the origin of Sai or the deeper meaning of religious texts.There was this teacher of Kolhapur and he explained me how he teaches Physics. He first explained me Quantum physics. 

So many of those rich experiences. Maybe- each of them deserve a separate entry by itself.