Hats of this little kid...Note from Kishore who was in the organizing team :
Never underestimate
Being a organiser for yesterday’s 100 km Ride has been a tremendous learning for me. Not only in the arena of cycling , but a learning for life. As per procedure I was checking all the cycles and riders. More often than not this is just a formality, as most of the cyclists are well versed with this. I never realised life is adept at throwing surprises. Going through this mundane task, I was actually feeling a little let down because my friends were doing the more important job of getting the paperwork done. When you don’t like something, you either finish it fast or procrastinate it till you are forced to execute. I hurriedly and absent mindedly went on tick marking against the names given to me. Almost, at the end I came across this thin, lanky looking boy. Sporting a disfigured helmet, a heavy backpack, and a ill fitting jacket. All these attributes pointed towards a non- finisher. And hold it, this boy had come with a fat boy cycle. For a moment I was taken aback. Was this a joke or something? I began to feel indignant . Authoritatively I questioned his credentials and ability to complete the ride within the stipulated time. In my typical North Karnataka Kannada I told him to go back home ‘agudillappa ... _nee manega hog beeda’ _ Not to be let down, he retorted back ‘_Uncle na madtin ree_’ The stubbornness in me had to reply him back... ‘_nodappa nee esta mund hogti asta vapas bara beka’ _ He nodded his head. And I went further giving him clearance, knowing he cannot go further than Dharwad. To ensure that there won’t be any problems to us, I informed his guardian that in case of him not completing the ride it will be the responsibility of the guardian to get him back to Hubli. I felt that I had done my job to the best of my capability and moved on. Post flag off, while driving towards check point No. 1 I saw him struggling on Navlur uphill. Triumphantly I joked about him with my co-passengers in the car. At the checkpoint 1 I see this boy completely drenched in sweat. Confidently, I ask him will you go back now. Again he replies me in the same manner ‘Uncle naa madtin ree’ Sigh! Again at the U-turn point I see this boy reaching a little late than other riders. He looks exhausted, but he’s determined. I cannot deny the fact that there was some respect for him growing in my mind seeing him complete 50 km. At the same time I was apprehensive about his return logistics back to Hubli. What more can I say, when I saw him at the surprise check point within the time frame. Though he was struggling, on his face I could see the confidence of him completing the ride. Inquisitively I came to know that the helmet he was wearing was designed and made by him, even the back light of the cycle was made by him. To give a befitting reply to my doubt of his completion, he rode in front of me that fat boy cycle in a Wheelie! Believe me my dear friends, it was a joy to see this boy completing his ride towards the end point. We all have our Expensive cycles, and all other gadgets which we feel will aid us in completing the ride as early as possible. I have seen my own friends not even taking a moment off to talk with the co-riders, fearing they will waste time. How naive we are ! Even in life we invest more in equipping ourselves for the task at hand. Little do we know that it takes nothing but will power to achieve our goal. We achieve what we want. I am reminded of a famous dialogue by SRK ... _Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho ... toh poori kaynaat usse tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai…_ Friends it’s all in the mind ! If you really wish it will happen.