GETTING HIGH ON NUMBERS

If Shubman Gill can score a double century, so can I. Only our fields are different.

Shubman scores double centuries on the Cricket ground. My field of activity is the blog on which this is my 200th post in 6 years.

Interestingly, I find life is full of numbers. The other day, our physiotherapist asked me how long I have been playing golf. I said "60 years" and she could just utter a "wow". 

Out of these 60, it is now the 36th year at the Army Golf Course in Delhi Cantt. After retirement from the Navy in 1989, we settled down in Delhi and I started playing at this Course and have seen it grow from 9 holes to 12 and then to full 18 since the late '90s. With a number of restaurants and snack bars on the high ground next to 1st and 10th tees and 9th and 18th greens, it can hold its own against the more famous Delhi Golf Club and is an attractive spot for dinner in the moonlight or just a cup of coffee at the end of a round of golf.

35 years ago when I joined the Club, I had many 15-16 year olds caddying for me. Today, it is unbelievable to see them as 50+s on the verge of becoming grandfathers if not one already!

Unbelievable too that I left the Navy over 35 years ago. I was commissioned on 01 January 1960, over 65 years from now. The 1971 War during which I was on the aircraft carrier Vikrant as Fleet Communications Officer of the newly formed Eastern Fleet, took place 54 years ago. It's been 47 years since I commanded Katchall and 40 since commanding Trishul which is when I went to Singapore as the Defence Adviser. 

On 22 July this year, it was the 70th anniversary of our Course, 14th, joining the NDA. I remember my visit to the Academy earlier in the year when I met cadets of the 153rd Course who had been allotted numbers of 45000-46000 compared to mine, 2134. Now it is the 154th Course that has joined since last month and their numbers will be approaching the 50000 mark!

After changing residence every 2-3 years or even oftener while in the Navy, it is our 26th year in Aradhana. Here too, we have seen children growing into adults, marrying and then becoming parents!

Sometime ago, I was on my walk in Nehru Park when a young man caught up with me, wished me with a smile and asked me how old I was. I gave him my age reversing the digits. He looked at me strangely wondering why I looked so old for my age! I just had to put the poor fellow at ease by giving him the digits in correct order.

Contrarily, there is the sweet song of my school days, over 70 years ago, "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" by Ames Brothers:

"The naughty lady of Shady Lane, has the town in a whirl

The naughty lady of Shady Lane, me, oh, my, oh, what a girl....

Our town was peaceful and quiet, before she came on the scene

The lady has stared a riot, disturbing the suburban routine....

You should see how she carries on, with her admirers galore

She must be giving them quite a thrill, the way they flock to her door....

The things they're trying to pin on her, won't hold much water I'm sure

Beneath the powder and fancy lace, there beats a heart sweet and pure....

The naughty lady of Shady Lane, so delectable, quite respectable

And she's only nine days old!"

Where have all the years gone? 'The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind, the answer is blowin' in the wind!'

The years go by, memories remain. Let me end with a few lines from the beautiful, touching song 'Memory' from the superhit musical "Cats" with lyrics by Trevor Nunn and composition by Andrew Lloyd Webber-

"Memory, all alone in the moonlight, I can smile at the old days

I was beautiful then, I remember the time I knew what happiness was

Let the memory live again....

I must wait for the sunrise, I must think of a new life and I mustn't give in

When the dawn comes, tonight will be a memory too

And a new day will begin."