Golden Times & Parallel Lines

A Gujrati shop has opened up in the locality of my residence in Sharjah last year. Samosas are available but only recently (last week only) I have started enjoying my weekend evening tea (home made sweet milk tea) with samosa. Today as I was enjoying the same, a picture from the past came to my mind. During my childhood days on Sunday evening very often I used to enjoy samosas---so good were those days!!!

Picture Courtesy : https://www.pexels.com

Why is it that we keep referring to our "golden old days" ? Perhaps its human nature, we enjoy to get nostalgic with good memories. But when we were in our school/college days we always wanted to get over those days of studies sooner than later and get into a job. When we enter a job very few people get over the college nostalgia quickly. Its easy to identify a fresher or a 2-3 years experienced professional from the body language, the way he or she talks. Coming to the point when we think/speak of the 'golden times' its always of the good things and great times, as if there was nothing bad in the past. A logical reason may be its always hard to deal with the present and the future is uncertain. The unpredictability of the present & uncertainty of the future makes us wonder for the golden past. Its easy to call the past 'golden' as the results, the effects are all known to us, there is no uncertainty. Its not that we always learn from the mistakes of the past, but past always have a positive frame in our mind. Its human psychology that the uneasiness of the ever changing dynamic nature of life and our unwillingness to accept it makes us think of the past as always 'golden' in most cases. Its easier to analyse any event from a known result, but its impossible for normal beings to identify the moment of the present that will make the present a golden one specially when it comes to taking decision.

Time for something from school geometry - difference between parallel and intersecting line. Parallel lines are 2 lines which run side by side maintaining constant distances, and they never meet. Intersecting lines  will meet at a point, as the distance between the two decreases. What remains unsaid  is that after the lines have met once they can never meet each other again unless they change direction. Intersecting lines are also diverging lines, the distance between them keeps on increasing. They can only meet when you change the direction or you trace back. Intersection seems to be more realistic situation than the optimistic parallel line theory. Life is a place where the intersections/cross-overs are predominant. Some of them are desirable some are not. We feel happy for some crossovers and bad for some--we feel like changing them, but we cannot go back and change that intersection as intersection always symbolises  divergence for the way ahead. Perhaps this is spirit of life, we cannot go back or trace back. Life is more like a vector, it has a specific direction, every intersection promises (or hopes) to bring a new intersection ahead. Trying to create parallel lines in life work only in school book geometry, not in life. Intersection is the order of life and the truth behind survival.

Socccer : Life or A way of Life

“Some say football is a matter of life and death. I am really disappointed by this attitude; it is something much more than that!!” – Bill Shanky, legendary Liverpool football manager.

From the above quote it is simple what football can mean to any soccer lover, to what extent his association can go. 

My 1st exposure to the game as a kid goes back to 1980s somewhere around 1985-86. One Saturday afternoon my grandfather switched on the television set (we used to have the old B&W Webel television). Those days there was only one channel. I thought maybe it was the usual weekend movie time. I sat by his side. But to my surprise I found some men kicking about a ball---I never understood what was it---on enquiry I came to know it was football being played in Kolkata. During the match more than the TV set I watched my grandfather’s reactions. I asked him what was going on and what were these clubs. He told me one was East Bengal  (who dawned red & yellow colour), the other Mohan Bagan (green and maroon brigade)—needless to mention colours were not on the screen you had to keep it in mind. The East Bengal jersey looked grey while the Mohan Bagan jersey black. Grandfather told me East Bengal was representing the “Bangals” & Mohan Bagan the “Ghotis”. At that time I never knew of this “Ghoti-Bangal” issue. I asked my grandfather which category we belonged. The following conversation was short but sharp.

Me : Amra Ki ? (who are we?)
Grand Father : Bangal
Me : Tumi kake support korchho ? (who are you supporting?)
Grand Father : East Bengal, "Bangal" mane East Bengal supporter. (Bangal imples East Bengal)

Needless to explain from that moment I knew I was East Bengal supporter. Thus association with my club started and still it stands above any other team. One thing was clear if you were a Bengali with Hindu origin you were by default an East Bengal or a Mohan Bagan supporter, you cannot escape the truth. It is a great feeling when you are there at the Salt Lake Stadium for a derby match. It’s a special feeling; you can feel it only when you are there. The ecstasy, the silence all define the moments perfectly. It is not just another match, for some it is bigger than life. It is just there you cannot replace it, the involvement is of the highest order, something beyond the feel materialistic world. Kolkata Derby is one the oldest & famous derbies of the world witnessing crowds of over 120-thousands at times.

But it was around the 1994 when I really became soccer lover. Exposure to international football became easier & inevitable. The World Cup turned me soccer lover. Before that to me Maradona was the only star I had seen and like others sort of worshipped him without understanding anything. 

In 1994 World Cup I saw the Italians, their resilience in Baresi-Maldini and the flair of Baggio. Romerio-Bebeto were doing great job but to me the resilience appeared more attractive than the flair of the game. So, I became an Italian supporter. 

For the next 4-5 years Juventus, AC Milan matches often appeared on Doordarshan during the weekends. Following Italian soccer was now easy. Zidane in Juventus was a treat to watch, hence 1998 World Cup was not a surprise. As a kid or youth looking at the Maldinis and Baggios to me it seemed the Greek Gods have descended to the football field. 

Post 1997 satellite television (cable tv) was in our house, so weekends were special. I enjoyed watching Figo, Rivaldo, Beckham, Nedved besides the Maldinis, Ambrosinis, Cannavaros, Tottis. But I enjoyed watching Rivaldo, mostly because much like a Gladiator, he carried a defence & spirit less Barcelona on his shoulders. Speed was not Rivaldo's key to success, nor eye catching dribbling but a lazy elegance which is rare in soccer, where a thousand things might be going on between the years but not reflecting on the face.

The single most influential player post Maradona era was Zinedine Zidane, but for me it was Steven Gerrard. The man single handedly gave Liverpool the 2005 Champions League trophy from an impossible situation. I was stunned to see AC Milan having taken a 3-0 lead in 1^st half faltered to Steve Gerrard. A typical one man show & this became Gerrard’s trade mark for the next 4-5 years and he continued enjoying the status and pulling out Liverpool from tough situations like 2006 FA Cup final. It was a tragedy the world could not see some one like Steve G not lifting an EPL in his prime or a World Cup or Euro, much like a George Best not playing a World Cup. 

Off late the commercial aspects have killed a lot of the skills of the game. Tackling from behind was an important aspect of the game & post 1990 World Cup it came under huge scanner & this has resulted too much of false dive & easy fouls. Video analysis & Strategies have made the Managers bigger than the Players. This has resulted more trophies/results for the clubs but killed the basic flair of the game.

Note : Picture Courtesy Google