An eventful travel

They say everything happens for a reason. is it so? Or is it just us humans trying to find a reason for everything that happens?! Whatever be it, I am very glad today that I didn't get a general sleeper and got a second AC seat. Why? I met the most inspiring person I know.

I got in to my coach and noticed an elderly couple by my seat. I thought "Okay let me not disturb them" and I sat by the side lower seat. Soon, like any other teenager I took my phone and starting chatting. After a while, I was asked to move by a few other college mates. At this point of time the couple asked me to sit by them. Soon the thatha ( Tamil for 'grand-father') asked me "You're a SASTRA student right?" I replied in the affirmative, quite apprehensively too, because this question usually leads to a bunch of similar questions about my college and department and it wasn't something I was willing to go through again at that moment. I was completely in holiday enjoyment mode, for I was going home after 2months. And as expected the next question was "Which department?". I dutifully replied "Third year Bioengineering". That put him in a great mood. He was like "I have a lot to discuss with you". I cringed internally thoroughly put off by the thought of having this conversation. Soon the questions flowed regarding different Universities, scope, careers and stuff. However to my surprise, he had knowledge equal to mine if not more regarding the field. It made me curious so as to know what he had done before his retirement. However, me being the introvert I am, couldn't gather the strength to ask. Within a minute or so, he said that he had been to Stanford University and had visited the Stem Cell Laboratory there. At that point I couldn't control my curiosity. I asked him what he had been doing before his retirement. He asked me to take a guess. I said “I'm getting a lot of professor/lecturer vibes from you”. He laughed at that and said “I have been that too”. Confused right? So was I.

He then started the story of his life. I cannot give an exact timeline. But I'll put in whatever he told me. He did his bachelor's in ECE and masters in Communication. He then worked in BSNL. Apart from this, he has done a diploma in Aeronautical engineering. He had also worked in the army ( to be exact in Air Force communication) for 4 years. They had tried to recruit him on a permanent position when he refused and came out of it. He then did BBA LLB degree and following retirement he worked as a lawyer for 10 years. On the side, he also did courses in B.Sc , M.Sc and Ph.D in Astrology.

Following retirement, he had a problem with one of his kidneys and the doctor had said that he needed a transplant and he was put on dialysis. However, to get a second opinion, his relatives took him to another hospital where they told him that it was just a minor issue, and the creatinine level was high because of one of his protein tablets and by then the kidney had revived itself. This incident gave him the drive to learn about the human body and he then started doing diploma/course (am not sure which) in Physiology, Cell and molecular biology, Pharmacology and Histopathology.

I was thoroughly shocked by the end of this. And yet it doesn't end here. He then added, coming to your professor/ lecturer thing, I worked for 3years in SASTRA, both in the engineering block as well as in the law block. His name is Nagarajan, the same as my father's. I was in complete awe.

That night, when I went to my berth, I was thinking about how much we teenagers complain saying that “I don't have time. I can't do this...It’s totally irrelevant to my field of study.” And here was a man who has touched every field of study he could get his hands upon. It's remarkable. It shows that it's the attitude to learn is what that matters.