Heroes!

I had very few heroes in my life. The common factor has been the ability of these heroes to be the best in their chosen profession or path. Except for my Dad, I never cared about what these heroes were outside their chosen field. I never cared about their personal lives. I never tried to meet any of my heroes. I never proclaimed that I am a fan. It is just a silent acknowledgment of their greatness and my own way of exhibiting my admiration by trying to be the best in my chosen field or anything else I do in my every day life.

Dad: My first hero was my Dad. He deserves a separate post. My life has seen so much of him. I would take years to understand the effect of my observations about his life. I wouldn't say he is the best Dad in the world. But I would say that he led his life on his own terms. With another toss of a coin and a bit of luck on his side, he would have reached the peak. But the abyss and the peak are right next to each other and can only be understood by the people who try to climb and fall. Salute!

Mom: If family is a profession, my mom excelled in it. Her sacrifices are infinite. She went to any extent to keep her children away from all the trouble. She valiantly took all the pain and gave us comfort. She didn't care about her health and life in the process. Such is the dedication she showed towards her chosen path. Salute!

Sachin Tendulkar: Outside of the cricket stadium, he may not be my hero. But once he steps into his cricketing shoes, I worship him. At that level of expertise about cricket and the skill to execute every shot in the book to perfection, he ranks on the top of my list of heroes. Aamir Khan mentioned in his blog about his experience of watching 20-20 final with Sachin. He has stated that Sachin could predict every ball bowled. He could exactly say what it would be: shorter one, slower ball, yorker, googly, doosra, good length, over pitched etc. My heroes are not rated on any other characteristic other than their expertise in their field and their ability to be always the best. Salute!

A.R.Rahman: In a rare interview given by him after his National award winning film, Roja, he said "Music should be deep. If it is a dance number, it should make you move. If it is a soft song, it should make you cry. And it should be different every time". And this man has delivered. And he continues to do it. Every song is different and deep. Salute!

Stephen Hawking: I couldn't think of words to describe my feeling for this person. With his body, I wouldn't have survived for a few hours. And here he is, struggling with the basics of life and yet scaling new heights in quantum physics. "God plays dice and throws it in a place where we cannot see." - Stephen Hawking ended his book, A brief history of time, with those famous lines. Truly, Stephen Hawking is a special throw of dice. Salute!

Steve Jobs: Outside of electronics, he may be an arrogant dude. But when it comes to design and marketing of cool electronic gadgets, he has no parallel. This man is a fighter. He rose from the ashes to reclaim Apple and take it to the top again. He rose from his own health issues and gave us iPhone which redefines everything that is assumed about a phone. He is a maverick. He is a genius. He is the best in his field. Salute!

Unnamed faces: There are fields which are not visible to the world. But there are so many people who dedicate their lives for a chosen path and be the best in them. They go unnoticed. They live for their own happiness. And in the process, they create better lives for many others. Salute!

Aunt: She is deaf. Her husband abuses her. He doesn't work. She struggled in all odd jobs to keep her family of three children afloat. She is dedicated to her family more than my Mom. She is an example for how not to lose heart in trying circumstances and how not to give up. Salute!

This list will continue to grow. Also I want to be on my own list of heroes. That would make my life.