Fox in #Football

I had the honor to play 2nd String Football for my Squadron "Foxtrot" in the National Defence Academy🤪. It was the CSM's (Cadet Sargent Major leads the discipline and morale of the Squadron and is a final termer) ploy as he converted 6th String into a dummy 2nd String to meet his strategy for the inter-Squadron competitions.

The match began with Kilo Squadron’s original 2nd string team. The ball remained in Foxtrot half only as both the teams were unequally balanced! Killers got the whiff of our potential, but, we disrupted their game somehow by sliding, tackling and hitting the ball deliberately out of the field. The intensity of Killers was too high and the Fighters were running out of meager ideas about Football. In the National Defence Academy, a Cadet is made to play all types of field games to ensure that they learn these games and be able to play with their troops when they become Officers. This also makes them understand the meaning of team spirit. After all , National Defence Academy's motto is to convert Boys into Men. This is inscribed on a red stone where it is written "NDA- THE MAKER OF MEN".

After about 20 minutes of haggling,the hell broke loose as Killers scored 7 goals in about as many minutes The Referee was a young non- ex-NDA Officer who had just come on a posting and had no experience of how a National Defence Academy Cadet would think🧐.

He could not judge in the first half as to what was happening. The Killers also thought they had a kill but were going slow themselves as they had a comfortable lead. The Officer was by now having a situation as Foxies were shooting long balls and out of the ground. The heat on the ground was making the Officer's throat dry as he was running more than the Cadets and his whistle kept him pumping more breath into its ravines. The game slowed down again but the Officer by now had got the whiff of it. He stopped the game and the second half was only the front and back rolling session on the field and both Squadrons rolled-up and down- Fox for foxing around Kilo and Kilo for not steam rolling and killing Fox🤫.
Suddenly, the Deputy Commandant of the Academy landed on the field and saw the Cadets rolling and the score reading 7-0🤥. The Officer explained to him the matter. The Deputy Commandant just smiled away and said," Even I was a dummy 2nd String player my self and it needs courage to face an original 2nd String! These Foxies will be a tougher lot from now onward. Keep the game on and report the goal margins to me tomorrow". He told the Foxies to score a goal against Killers and promised to visit the team in the Squadron if that happens! He went away and the game started.

Foxies got charged up and the final score read 10-3 in favor of Kilo. The 11 Foxies on ground had a reason to celebrate- the 3 goals against a Goliath Team and a visit by the Deputy Commandant to the Squadron. We also became Footballers as Deputy Commandant visited the Foxtrot Squadron and hailed the Fighter's spirit of the team🦊. He said,"Damn Good Fighters. In the battle you would meet unequal enemies and I am sure that you boys will face them with grit and fight. Great spirit you all exhibited. Keep the fight on.” We all rejoiced and the team went into play more matches with the "Never Say Die" fighting spirit. We lost many matches but the fight remained in all.

Cheers to Football , Footballers and their Fighter's Spirit.

"Enter my portals O glory bound one
Learn to lead I'll make you men
In my dreams the bugle sounds
In my heart hope abounds
Leave my portals live like men
Death or glory it matters none
The hour beckons honour at stake
O valiant sons a mother prays
Lead with vigour straight up front
Rocklike bear the enemy's brunt
I shall write your untold story
I shall uphold your blazing glory
Go my sons the earth beckons
Hear my warriors the oceans call
Soar my eagles the sky is yours
Death before defeat
Death before dishonor
Death with distinction
A mother prays for all your days
Strive and seek victory with grace
A mother prays.
A mother prays."

THE PARALLEL LINES

The Boeing 747 rolled down the tarmac for that first time. Circa 1969 and the massive four engine bird was a brand new creation. Its Chief Test Pilot on that eventful 09 Feb 1969 was Jack Wadell. The cockpit was full of new technology as Jack throttled up the machine and the bird took to the skies. It was the beginning of a new era in the Aviation World. The big and strong machine started crossing the oceans and made the inter-continental travels simpler and easier. Each flight would create a line and the return flight would then crate another parallel line in the skies as cities linked their ends though parallel lines are not supposed to meet!

Parallel lines are not supposed to meet till infinity- that is the mathematical definition. Each day the parallel lines get drawn in various spheres of human existence and continue from infinity to infinity. Attempts are constantly made to open dialogue boxes and to make the lines meet at some location. Sometimes the lines meet as the issues close or else the lines continue to stretch into oblivion in search of infinity. The dialogues unite or the failed communication crashes the attempt to make the parallel lines meet.

Basically, humans are an intelligent race. Their tipping point comes when their emotions are disturbed by external or internal factors of their life’s arena. Once troubled, humans have a great tendency to boil the pot of life and cause troubles in and around them. This is where they stretch simple issues onto parallel lines mode and the search for that tranquil infinity begins. Many do end up finding the end to their woes but by then the time has taken its own toll on the warring humans. Compassion, which is a natural trait of humans, returns back to tranquilize them and sober them up. This state though comes late in one’s life and what has been lost never recovers.

Boeing 747 took its maiden flight in 1969 and almost 1500 such airliners touched the skies. The technology kept improvising and many an incremental changes brought better conditions for the humans who flew in these birds. Technology is developed through human intelligence and it is this very intelligence which can be used to nurture infinite compassion inside the humans! Intelligence is the basic factor which can identify good versus the bad emotions and can then filter the best for the humans. If the mind is stable and heart has peace then the physical health remains stable. This adage goes true for a B-747 also, that if the weather conditions are good and the machine is humming silently together, then the flight path creating lines passes away smoothly.

Why should humans not strive for peace and tranquility? The World is connected than ever before and with each passing moment something new is being generated to stitch various dots into a meaningful data. The interpretation of data is making humans reach finite conclusions. These finite conclusions then are becoming the start points for another journey. This again encompasses the diktats of human intelligence and the power of the connected! This is not a simple concept as it entails joining of human thoughts and minds at various levels to produce a finite result! If minds can join to produce a tangible result then why the parallel lines which keep ripping the humans apart in various facets of life be not skewed to meet at a point rather than stretch them till infinity? Infinity is till where the humans can stretch the limits, isn’t it?

B747 lasted close to 47 years and even survived the threat from the Supersonic Airliners which were supposed to disrupt the aviation world. Some engineer humans kept on adding versatility and make-overs to B747s to keep the design relevant till 2017. The intelligence came to the front and scaled up whenever required.

The working capability of humans can reach heights if mind, emotions and logic synchronize to produce the results. It is these heights from where the infinity point can be seen to make those parallel lines meet and then start a new journey.

The 747-100 was nearly twice as long as the Wright brothers’ entire first flight. Indeed, the jet may be most esteemed by those who have been lucky enough to fly it. The very first to do so, the test pilot Jack Waddell, described it as “a pilot’s dream” and a “two-finger airplane” — one that can be flown with just the forefinger and thumb on the control wheel; it is hard to imagine higher praise for such an enormous aircraft. Each human who piloted these birds found the aircraft to be both smooth and maneuverable, a joy to fly and to land. The subject remained simple for each pilot that sat in the cockpit- a distance to cover and arrive in time. The line had to be created both the ways to clock a perfect home-coming. The end of the journey sealed the line till a new dot emerged to draw a new line.

B747s would still be in sky as they get phased out with time. Their onboard Computers would continue to calculate till on that one last day when the power would not be fed to them anymore. Their parallel line would meet its end and the issue would be closed. Humans too possess some similar capabilities if they exercise their talents. After all, humans are the creators of their material possessions!

So, what is stopping humans from closing their parallel lines at a point and restarting the journey with less baggage and fresh minds? Control the emotions and see the positive results. So, have you planned to keep your emotions under control and achieve the results as big as the B747, eh? Wish you a Grand 2018.  

  

THE EVOLUTION

Life keeps throwing challenges. Each new challenge gets more complex as associated factors of human life change their levels with the passage of time. Humans have to, therefore, continuously evolve to meet the needs of the challenges. 

Life never presents equal opportunities and also never presents equal results. Similarly, two humans can never be alike other than certain similarities in their features! Humans do have an uncanny ability to meet the challenges and bring out the results moderated by the change in the levels of the associated factors.

Praveen Teotia was fit as a fiddle when he completed his tough training to become a Marine Commando. The day for him and his colleagues dawned with the first light and they went through the rigorous physical training at their Navy Base. They were being prepared for missions should the country need their services. The training for the Marines knows no limit. These men go through varied physical and mental situations to keep them battle ready. Praveen along with his team members was in the best shape to meet any eventuality.

In November 2008, the Navy Marine Team was assigned a task to neutralize terrorists who had holed up inside the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel at Mumbai. The Marines landed on the site and the battlefield got laid out as the military balance was restored by the arriving teams. The terrorists were holed up inside the hotel and mayhem had been set loose. Crude bombs had been exploding and fires spewed out of the windows of the hotel building. Chaos writ large and the neutrality had to be ensured.

Brave men including Praveen Teotia marched into this unplanned battle zone. Their pre-operative briefing would have been sharp and to the point. The team leader would have discussed point blank plans to ensure minimal damage to his own team with maximum results. The ‘Fog of War” is the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding one's own capability, adversary capability, and adversary intent during an engagement, operation, or campaign. The warring forces encounter the “Fog of War” as soon they enter each other’s boundaries. The Marines and the terrorists were in the same situation as the outer boundary of the battle zone was secured by the Marines and the boundary perimeter started reducing with each step which led to Point Zero.

Weapons unleashed their ferocious fore power from both the sides. Bullets and explosions flew everywhere. Praveen fought bravely till he was felled by 04 bullets. 02 bullets had pierced his lung and ear. He was evacuated to a Military Hospital in a critical condition and his tough soul lived through months to see him getting up with a damaged lung and partial hearing loss. The challenge loomed ahead of Praveen as he had to now evolve again. He could have sat down with his disabilities and decided not to move an inch ahead with his life. Gradually, he would have only degraded down in his capabilities. 

Praveen decided to take the situation in his control and began a marathon recovery. Marathon not only in literal terms but also he started training for marathons with his set of disabilities. He was not going to merely exist in this World, he was out there to make a meaningful living. He continuously wanted to evolve! His stupendous efforts saw him completing the 72-km-long Khardung La marathon in Ladakh, and finished well within the stipulated time, earning a medal. Praveen has yet again evolved himself successfully despite losing some of his critical physical abilities. His mind and perseverance won over his pains and losses!

Humans have no choice but to meet changes and challenges all through their lives. The heat of life keeps making the humans sweat and tries to sap out their best energies. This is the universal phenomenon and humans age as they battle on. Some give up easily and some decide to follow on with their lives battles. They re-adjust and re-calibrate at each stage of life and keep achieving the desired results. As Praveen puts across,”I wanted everyone to know I was the same man who went into the Taj hotel as a commando. I had the right not to be forgotten! “. The words have profound meaning and reflect the sheer will to evolve afresh as life alters to a new dimension. Life can be termed as a brutal companion, it does what it needs to do without any formal warning or lead time to prepare in most circumstances! It is for the humans to face the brunt and then alter themselves successfully to take the new form and shape. This choice is always available and only needs to be embraced.

Set the mind towards positivism and begin the process of evolution. The pains and aches would occur but soon enough the sweet times will emerge on the horizon. The steps would feel lighter and the mind would synchronize to beat the heat of the challenge. The new phase of life would emerge and last till the next evolution beckons. So, who is stopping you from evolving, eh! 

THE CATASTROPHE

The spell had been cast. The War Game was on full swing and the battle lines had been drawn. The exponents of the stealth were in vogue and the “Cat” had been pitched up against the “Mouse”. The Submarine was lurking behind the temperature layers in the great depths of the Sea and waiting to strike as the target crossed its weapon line. There were sweat beads on most foreheads as each second counted.

Finally, the orders for speed increase started flowing in on the Main Motor Telegraph. The Motor Room crew was agile and ready to meet the orders. The best Motorman sat on the big wheel which operated the 52 Ton Main Motor. This Motor in turn provided the thrust to the Submarine’s screws to move the 3000 Ton behemoth steel body to pierce through the sea layers. The swift movement of wheels and the change of contacts enabled the Motor to gain half ahead speed. The big Submarine started gaining momentum. The Control Room crew was silent and sharp with its calculations. Crisp orders were being passed as rapid calculations progressed to encounter the enemy and ensure a symbolic victory of the War Gaming.

The Engine Order Telegraph moved to Extreme Full Ahead position indicating that the Submarine needed more power to move towards firing depth and reach the torpedo launch position. The Motorman who was a thorough professional and one of the best suddenly moved the big wheel in the counter-clockwise position instead of taking it clockwise as per the telegraph order. The big motor jerked as its momentum was given an electrical impulse to spin in exactly the opposite direction. The motor started drawing a heavy current to execute the order and the main motor contacts became red hot. Things moved in seconds, as the Electrical Officer who was watching the operation swung into action and pushed the frozen Motorman out of his operating position which is on a box. He took control of the big wheel and with precision restored the wheel back to zero position to enable the currents to settle down and ease the electrical pressure on the contacts. The fire seemed inevitable as temperatures rose furiously as if their inertia had been shaken violently. The catastrophe had raised its head and would strike any moment.

The telegraph was still stuck at extreme full ahead position and the Control Room was waiting for the matching of telegraphs at the end of the wheel maneuver. The Electrical Officer zeroed the telegraph to Motor Stop Position and boom came the thundering voice of the Control Room. The maneuver had started and boat was gaining height and now the Motor showed stop position. Quick words were exchanged as the Submarine’s momentum started dropping with the Motor stopped. The Electrical Officer had a lot of work to do to get the Motor going if the Submarine had to meet its intended commitment. He had to fight hard to contain the catastrophe which had all the plans to run amok.

The Control Room opened up the adjacent Compartments for a quick in-board ventilation to share the smoke and heat of the Motor Room Compartment. The Motor Room crew quickly inspected the Motor externally and assessed the situation. The contacts were visually inspected and the Electrical Department Team decided to meet the challenge head on. Control Room was informed that the Motor would be operated and the present run of the Submarine would have to stall for 30 minutes to do a detailed inspection. Control Room now had some more work to do as the route had to be planned again to catch the dummy enemy ships which were now crossing at the top of the Submarine as she moved to safer depths to cool down the temperatures.

The building catastrophe was contained with quick and detailed checks. The Electrical Team certified the Main Motor and after 30 minutes a slow start was given by the same Motorman who had invited the catastrophe! The giant motor came to life and turned the massive screws of the Submarine. The Submarine gained momentum, turned and shaped a new course to attack the ships which had gained many a nautical miles. The search pattern was re-drawn and the chase began again. The swift Command Team of the Submarine played its tactics of the “Cat and Mouse” game and attacked the convoy to meet the training target. The torpedo firing exercise was carried out and the War Game culminated successfully.

All this while the Commanding Officer had been in a watchful mode. He did not disturb his entire Command Team as each Officer went ahead with his plan to meet the challenge. The average age of his Command Team was just about 27 years and himself was touching 40 years. His silence and calming presence enabled each movement to a perfect closure. The equipment was retrieved, made operational again and Submarine met its intended target. No Officer lost his sweat and there were no countermanding orders at any stage. Each man worked liked a ticking clock.

During the de-brief, the Electrical Officer presented his sequence along with the Executive Officer. The Motorman on duty was interviewed and no possible reason was found about his one-off action. He was put back on his regular duty watch and continued to operate the motor at best as he only could! After all, he was one of the best Motorman onboard the Submarine. His confidence levels were found to be complaint with his training and experience as no Officer or his superior sailor fumed at him for the episode.

The Commanding Officer had led his team well and with his positive attitude gained the utmost respect of his Officers and Men. He did not create a flutter when the catastrophe had started its strike. He had contained the marauding expanse of the catastrophe by meeting the challenge with his steadfast approach. He let his team carry out the assigned tasks and stood behind them firmly. His 26 years olds had been given a grand lesson on leadership merely by his calm demeanor and strong but calm presence. His orders were clear as a crystal and reflected great faith that he had in his well trained team. His presence gave utmost confidence and every man was sure of his own worth. The air was sucked out of the catastrophe and it could never reach its flash point.

The Submarine settled down quickly into its operational routine and dived deep to become yet another metal body inside the deep ocean. The Commanding Officer had two major roles- operations and training. He succeeded in both and ensured that he created a strong yet empathetic leadership under him. 

No situation is worth the panic. Situations would emerge out of nowhere and try to wreak havoc. They demand attitude which ensures containment rather than fanning the situation. Be calm, be gentle and yet be strong can easily help to scale potential catastrophes. If it cannot be avoided, then it should be embraced. Isn’t it?

How about you? Are you ready to embrace the catastrophe? Eh!   

THE ORBIT

A moving object will continue to move unless something pushes or pulls on it. This statement is called Newton's First law of Motion. Without gravity, a satellite would fly off into space. With gravity, a satellite is constantly pulled back toward Earth. This tug-of-war keeps the satellite in orbit. An orbit is a path. It's the way something goes around an object in space. This concept was taught to us a young students in the school. We have been watching this concept prove its utility in various arenas of spatial management.

The concept of an orbit can be related to the human lives as well. There are various types of human lives. If it is observed, then, in totality, each human defines his own life. The definition of human life can be compared to an orbit. After all, an orbit is a path and human life also can be drawn like a path. The dots can be plotted and the human life’s orbit emerges. 

The human variants have the ability to manage their orbits. Some exercise this ability to perfection. They stay in a defined orbit and their life keeps unfolding like a song. Some humans do not manage their orbits well. They keep changing their orbits and their lives take varying turns- sometimes for good and sometimes for bad. They have no control on their life’s outcome. 

Two childhood friends were good cricketers. Both were talented and trained under the same coach. Their potentials matched peak to peak and both went on to represent their country in cricket. Then the problem to stay in the desired orbit emerged. One maintained his orbit while the other toppled his orbit. Their paths, which were matching, suddenly took different dimensions and directions. The closely knit orbit of both the friends split apart and as one went down into a spiral, the other attained great heights in his overall life! The one who managed his orbit well is still in the limelight whilst the other is not heard of anymore! These are the strange vagaries of human lives as people fade away from memories within no time when they lose their defined orbits!!

How do humans maintain stable orbits? Well, first the humans have to attain an orbit. To attain their stable orbit, they have to generate a safe velocity. This velocity gets generated through good human values, education and behavior. A seamless integration of these aspects would lead to attainment of a safe orbit. This orbit, though would have its own grind, but it would provide adequate support mechanism to the human. Gradual stability would emerge and a long term safety blanket gets ensured. This path is not easy and is fraught with danger at every step. Humans have the ability to get derailed at the slightest pretext. This is where the ability to control lives comes into play and steers humans towards safety in their orbits. 

Humans have to learn to understand their orbits. The earlier they understand, the better it is for their own survival. It also requires a deep practice to maintain the orbits and continue to pump right kind of energies to the various aspects which propel humans into their defined orbits. Anything and everything withers with age and balances have to be created to manage changes. If the changes are managed correctly then the orbits themselves would be managed seamlessly. Modernity has provided humans with the ability to manage their environment. The environment can be controlled still the randomness continues to emerge in human arenas. Orbits get affected by the human and nature’s randomness.

Every human is different and very few will perceive their orbits. There is no harm in analyzing the past, present and future. The key to perceived success would always lie in human achievements and all these achievements would lie on a defined path-orbit. Take care of the orbit and the orbit will take care of the rest. 

Are you in your correct orbit, eh?

A GOOD GESTURE

Every picture has a story to tell. After a break at rain soaked Manipur, we boarded Indigo from Imphal to New Delhi with a change over at Guwahati. 

Our luggage consisted of a Golf Set wrapped in a white sack. At Delhi, we got all our luggage back barring the Golf Set. The hunt began as the Indigo team led by vibrant Ankur Grover pinged Guwahati, Imphal and even Hyderabad where the Imphal To Guwahati plane had proceeded! 

The set could not be traced! Then, using the Submarine experience, I set off a new search pattern and self and Ankur plotted a search for a white sack tube parcel! Lo and behold, the Set was tracked at Delhi Cargo Lost Section! 

Took 3 hours but cherubic Ankur kept his wits at its best and I was cool as always. The set is with me now and a new game beckons from tomorrow. 

Welcome home.

THE MUSIC

In 1989, one evening as the roars of protests in Germany which the world was witnessing, took a surprising turn. While once people were shot for jumping the Berlin Wall, the gates had now been opened, as a gleeful crowd from East and West Germany stood on the wall and asserted themselves and their right to be one. Dismantling it by hand and hammers, the crowd could be stopped at nothing.

The iconic moment when the wall fell was best captured by music that has since rocked our world. One of the best known music of that era was “Winds of Change” by Scorpions. While the song celebrated 'Glasnost', then-USSR's decision to improve government transparency, the German classic rock band's iconic song is best known for the footage of the Berlin wall collapsing at the end, symbolizing the moment when history was created. "Let your Balaikas sing, what my guitar want to say" roars the band's frontman Klaus Meine in his distinctive voice. "Take me to the magic of the moment/On a glory night/Where the children of tomorrow dream away/in the wind of change," the song goes, as bit by bit, the Berlin Wall comes undone.

Music has magical capabilities. They can lift the moods and express deepest of feelings with quintessential ease. Music has exciting capabilities and singing humans can cover difficult miles with great ease. Armies march on tunes, wars are fought with battle cries and motivational music. Sports utilize the power of music to boost up adrenalin. Music is virtually everywhere in the human arena. Birds sing, animals respond to songs, human children act playfully on their favorite songs and even blowing wind can create musical sounds.

More and more humans are seen with headphones as music rules the battery power of their smart devices. Plethora of radio stations, Radio Jockeys and Genres have emerged which keep humans hooked onto the music of their likes. A favorite song can help rejuvenate ideas. Many humans are able to forget their pains and begin exercising as music lift up their fledgling energies and pained bodies. What music cannot achieve today? There is probably no dimension wherein music does not have a role and this is true from times immemorial.

Who would have discovered music? How music became the backbone of life’s existence? These questions can be an interesting study. It therefore emerges that music is omnipresent and can help scale heights. Can managers of today benefit from music? After all, each one of them listens to some music or the other! If a Manager can remain excited and focused in his personal life through music, then he can try to utilize the same music to remain focused even in his professional life.

It is seen every day that people enter the work places with headphones. They have a stoic facial expression till the headphone is in their ears. They reach the attendance biometrics, take off the headphone and the human inside them emerges out. The work place heat increases and then the battles begin- the so called Corporate Battles. Every organization lays down processes. These processes are like music if followed. A good process can lead to an easy professional life and work gets finished within laid down timings. A derailed process rings in utter chaos and the music vanishes. It escalates the bickering and annoyance. Mayhem sets in and it is a known fact that in chaos the costs rise. Failures take place without any pattern and the organization suffers.

The theories of management define that organization is an organized group of people with a particular purpose, such as a business or government department. Organisation is also defined as the action of organizing something. Nothing can be organized in chaos and mayhem, right? So, why do humans who call themselves as Managers do not let music flow into their organizational activities whilst they spend so much of their time in listening to music. Every weekend majority of them unwind by listening to music and jiving on its tunes! What prevents them from following the simple tunes of music into their work places and work ethics? 

It is amply clear that the some costs have to be increased and some costs have to be decreased to gain the maximum profits. If the input costs can be tackled with musical processes then the competition of increasing the margins can be achieved easily within the organization itself. Any task completed well ahead of schedule and within laid down input costs can always give better output costs. Who can deny the profit then? Smooth and clean processes can bring prosperity and the organizations can reap greater dividends. So, why not push Managers to understand the Organizational Music? Each one of them has to be aligned right from the inception into the Organisation to understand the theme music of the Organisation. If he understand, we’ll continue and if he does not then it is better that he moves to find an organizational music of his choice.

Do you really need maximum profits? If yes, then check out the music playing around in your organization and tune it so that each manager enjoys the same tune. Let go of those who do not understand or enjoy the tune for they have to find other organizations of their own ilk and choice. 

Do you have it in you, eh? Have you identified your music? If yes, then show the jive and make your teams understand that music. Let them jive to the tune. Come on, it is just music.