Friday, April 10, 2009

Giants live among us.





A hero, a teacher, an inspiration-so many terms used to imply the same emotion of admiration and love. Dr N Roy has been that for me and I am sure for many like me. Watching someone who has achieved the rare feat of being the best he can be, is a lesson in itself.



So many of us get lost in the trivia of inconsequental talk, purposeless action. So many of us work and never enjoy it on account of numerous issues related to work-our co-workers, our bosses, our customers (patients in my case). These affects all of us, but what we learn from these and how we rise or fall afterwards is what is important. An important lesson I learnt from Dr Roy is that if many persons make an issue about your work, and of your good work, that means you are doing well. This, of course, could be seen in a different manner by many, and many of us would tone down the intensity and level of the good work as a consequence. That would be the easiest way out-like taking to alcohol to escape reality. The other choice is to continue doing excellent work, as best is possible to oneself.



Another idea he inculcated in me was that sometimes a project one undertakes may not be "successful" as defined prior to starting it, but so much learning happens while working on one. "Peripheral learning issues"-like learning about hitherto unknown software! He talked about the sail on a ship. If the sail is up, one may get winds that guide one's ship towards one's port, but if the sail is down, one may never move onwards and will keep drifting where the currents may take it. Of course, this was a metaphor for opportunities and to keep one's mind active. This reveals how a man of thought and action thinks differently from the herd, from the passive majority.



Once he said "You'll regret the day you met me..." implying the amount of ideas and thus, work he would expect of us, but honestly, I regret not meeting him earlier.



I envy all the students and registrars who study and work under his stewardship. And I am glad I met him and that I will work with him for many years to come. Life takes on another color, a vibrancy, an excitement under a giant. So many "superiors"take pleasure in stilting, in discouraging, in breaking one at work. And so few inspire, encourage and lead not by words alone but by example. And these rare individuals make a difference, in the lives of any thinking person-student, employee or victims of disasters. Dr Roy is one of those rare individuals whom one misses once they leave for other cities and workplaces. But because I have known him, I cannot not speak about the wonderful impact he has had on my attitude towards work and towards life in general.

What a man.