Death of the Bicycle!

The innocuous transport of the aam aadmi has a tarnished image now. The mazdoor’s transport, a symbol of penury is now a 'Lost Symbol'. In fact it's being exploited for its inherent characteristic: that of being Indian, hoi polloi and indistinguishable in any marketplace. 

The cyclist has always been a simple man, in films either the postman or a simpleton peon who carries the burden of a large family, struggling to do so. During the bad times, the cycle represents the vicious cycle that he is caught in, the good times the cycle represents wheels of progress. Mass produced and mass consumed, the cycle can even claim to be one of the biggest uniting symbols of the Indian mass, irrespective of culture and language. Even the names of the biggest cycle brands - Hero, Hercules, Atlas are quite a revelation about the burden that the cycle is meant to carry.  

A cycle also represents the balancing act for the Indian. Wife at the back (at the front when the marriage was still new!) and kids on the rod in front, sometimes even on the handle, can be precarious proposition, but the ages have seen this delicate balance thrive with ample joy and smiles on faces. The Bajaj scooter has usurped this position somewhat but then in the villages of India, Bajaj is still aspirational, while Hero is still staple.

It's interesting how a cycle mingles into the marketplace. Parked against anybody’s wall, it’s never seen as a burden. Pretty much like the mongrels which inhabit temple stairs and railway stations. Their essentiality to the very definition of that surrounding, inconspicuous by their very nature, subdued like a village bumpkin. Its also the only vehicle that ‘walks’ as much as it runs. The ease with which it is pulled up into footpaths, manoeuvred through choc-a-bloc situations and led through crowded railway bridges is worth mentioning. While it has an owner in most cases, there are no qualms about letting it go for someone else’s errand. The cycle is there for you to see and what you see is what you get.

Remember the last time you heard the tring of a bicycle behind you and how you budged exactly an inch to let it pass, and it did?!

Look back and move on...

I meant for this to be a goodbye post, but then my Internet connection hung up for a few hours while it had its own party, and the date changed. So, a welcome post it shall be.

2010 - I don't know where to start. So much happened this year. It was a great year. That's not to say it didn't have it's valleys and dips, but there was so much that could have gone wrong and didn't. That's the first feeling that engulfs me when I look back: gratitude. The first prayer I always say starts with a thank you for all that is. And so, in a way, I fulfilled the only resolutions I set down for myself: live in the present, enjoy the moment, carpe diem.

The second resolution was one to not give up, to push myself and keep going no matter what. I had ups and downs but I trundled on. I took great risks and got greater rewards. "Fearless" wasn't really a word in my vocabulary, but at least the fears were acknowledged and faced and even overcome. Hey, it's progress!

It's been a year of adventures and hard work and goals and milestones. Of making and strengthening bonds. It's been a year in which I surprised myself, over and over. Nice feeling, that. It's been a year of full, and yet fulfilling, calendar spaces. It's been a year of so many firsts and so many tests. And I'm proud of myself for having dealt with them so well, because you really never know what you can do until there's no one else to do it.

It's been a year of goodbyes and hellos. So many amazing people came and went, but mostly stayed. People who, for some reason I fail to fathom, like me. I know what my resolution this year will be. A big thank you to you all - you make my world go round.

It was also a year of attempting, if not quite achieving, the perfect balance. Getting over the part, anticipating the future. It's so easy to lose sight of the present moment, so easy for it to dissolve, but if one thing on my full calendar makes me happy, it's the smiley face beneath the scribbles on almost every weekend. And it was so important to do that to keep going. Work first, life afterwards - really not a wise mantra. At times, I went so fast that everything was just a colourful blur. But stopping is important too. You need something to balance the weight on the see-saw so you don't go down.

I've been so lucky. I can only hope that I can continue to improve, to build upon what was begun, to fix what was wrong and be a better person. 2011 has a lot in store - and a lot of competition too. It could be the year that makes or breaks everything - so to speak. But it really isn't fair to put so much pressure on it. All one can do is hope.

This could be your story just as it was mine. I hope that you, at any rate, found something you could connect with. And if you're here, now, reading this, then Wish you a very happy and prosperous 2011!