Success vs. Joy
- XLI -
Childhood
My father was in the government service and I was told that I should “study and always try to get a first division.” I was never asked by my parents to be first in class and as such there was no pressure on me to excel academically.
Fortunately from the age of 11, I started performing quite well in sports. I took part in the national swimming championship when I was 12. My father did not mind me playing all day as long as I got a first division.
My parents never spoilt me when I was young. I was not given the kind of pocket money that might have led me astray. Even as a child, I learnt the virtues of discipline. I would cycle 15 kilometers to school, come back home in the evening at five o’clock and, 30 minutes later, again cycle for 10 kilometers to an hour-long swimming session. This was not aimless leisurely swimming but a structured coaching course, which involved swimming at least 2,000 meters. By the time I returned home, it would be almost 10 p.m. By then I would be totally exhausted and would slump into bed quickly to enter the deepest of deep slumbers.
This was my typical schedule for three years. I grew accustomed to such a rigorous routine early in life. I realized much later how such a routine helped give me strength and will power.
These were years when I would spend many hours on my own. I learnt to enjoy solitude. I remember I was a stoic as a child as well; I rarely revealed my emotions to others. I would love flying kites, playing with small glass marbles and gulli danda. When I wasn’t playing games or swimming, I would read and listen to music. Even today, I’m quite content with myself; I do not have to socialize to be happy.