By Dinesh Swamy
Creative Director, Digital Law and Kenneth
The strangest part about life is there’s always something left to learn. This bizarre craving for knowledge has made it a necessity for humans to first create a greener side and then struggle all our lives to bend and cross over.
I’ve inherited this pattern too. So from skateboarding to moonwalk, I’ve tried my hands at every possible art. Is it random? Perhaps yes. But immensely rewarding. Just like entering a cave and accidentally treading on a heap of gold.
Last month, I learnt the art of wielding the nanchaku. (Besides other eccentricities, I’m a Bruce Lee fan). After adequately breaking a few objects in the house, including my pointy nose and getting reprimanded by my wife, I decided to learn something that could be a little relevant to my profession. And less harmless, as per The Wife Standards.
I kept scratching my head, trying to think of what I could learn. Nothing struck me. Gradually, it began bothering the subconscious. What could I possibly learn that would help me work better? What’s that one thing my job demands most? The thought kept coming back to me, almost every minute. Especially during meetings, client lunches, brainstorming, driving my car, staring blankly at my screen, looking at my boss… who, in turn, kept glaring back at me, conspicuously. And that’s when it struck me. Bingo! I should learn the art of juggling. Yes! The more I thought about it, the more it appealed to me. Isn’t it all about multi-tasking? Isn’t it about balancing everything and carrying the show on? That’s it. I would learn juggling. And I would begin my first session with Godspeed.
It started with lemons on a glorious Sunday. I woke up early and announced it to my family. They simply laughed and asked me to go for it. I began the first lesson. Fling the first object in the air and as it begins its downward fall, throw the second one. I kept doing this, religiously. And the more I flung and caught, the more I loved it, because I could relate to it. The next day, the lemons were replaced by a triad of oranges. They toppled over and fell off the balcony. I simply shrugged my shoulders. Big deal. (I missed my fruit salad that night).
Soon apples, onions, potatoes and the whole gamut of circular objects in the house were used for relentless experimentation. Soon, juggling went everywhere with me. I became an entertainer at the agency, crumpling the briefs and juggling them for a few claps although I did ignore the disdainful looks the servicing guys gave over the cubicles. Nothing would deter me from being a professional juggler. My next show happened to be at a shopping mall, in the sports section where I spotted cricket balls. I couldn’t keep my hands from picking three balls and juggling them. By now, I could catch and throw them with ease. When I finished pulling off a 25-second free show, I saw little kids and surprised mothers smiling. It was a great feeling.
But that’s not all, I realized I’d become a better taskmaster too. I could easily gauge the urgency of work and balance it with the rest of the job list. From briefs to meetings, it all became a cakewalk. Dreadful pitches turned easy and moved smoothly. A few pats followed too. I felt light and pleased.
But was it juggling or something beyond that? I guess it was something more basic and intrinsic. Something we all know as sheer willpower. Juggling was just a manifestation. A road to reach the greener side and lie still for a minute, soaking in the glory of knowledge, before realizing that there are greener pastures still.
Next on my agenda is spinning a basketball on a finger. All about balance, this time.
Feedback: dinesh.s@lkdigi.com
