They also entertain, who only mop and dry!

While some men rise up to name and fame, some work equally hard, if not harder, but remain on the side lines.

On the second of May 2015, I watched the first ever cricket match from a stadium. I had played on grounds plenty of times, but this was the first ever time that I visited a ground as a spectator!

The contest, an IPL cricket match played between the home side Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, had to halt before it began, as the clouds decided to play a match, sending down huge droplets of water. For a good hour and half the heavenly match continued while the prayers on earth were for the Gods to stop their game, so that the mortals could begin theirs.

But soon, the spectators urged the rain Gods to continue, as the word about the refund condition spread. Our money would be refunded if and only if not a single ball was bowled.

Perhaps due to a signal delay between heaven and earth, the Gods heard our initial prayers a wee bit too late, allowing time for ten overs to be bowled, halving our money’s worth.

But no sooner had the rains ebbed, an army of men swarmed the ground. The next hour or so was a sheer feast for the eyes.

No. The game had not begun yet.

An army of grounds men, busy as ants...

An army of grounds-men had taken over the job of keeping us entertained from the heavenly Gods. They moved the mopping machines all over the ground like little ants and dried up every inch of the huge ground. They marched from one end to other mopping the ground with machines and ropes hoping to get a nod of approval from the umpires.

Their energy level was infectious!

Their request was turned down thrice and all the three times, they began all over again, undaunted and tireless!

Their energy levels were so infectious that the crowd remained rooted to their seats. The snack sellers did their bit, keeping the spectators’ jaws busy and tummies filled! When the umpires were finally satisfied and allowed the cricket celebrities to enter the ground, cheers filled the air, more for the hard work and entertaining work done by the grounds-men.

Their uncelebrated cerebrum strategized the drying work, so that the celebrated cerebrums could take over and strategize ways and means of winning the game.

The match was played, but the men who were originally meant to keep the crowd entertained finished in the third spot, behind the watery firmament and the energetic grounds men!

We returned home, happy and satisfied, not just because our team had won the match, but also because we got three times our money’s worth!

What a massive job it was to dry the massive ground...

 

Note:

The method they used to mop and dry the ground can be developed into a routine which itself can be developed into a skill. Not only will it become a lucrative profession, but also teach the dignity of labor!

When in doubt follow nature!

A king escaped with his defeated, depleted army with no clue on how to begin afresh.

One day as he roamed the country side with his minsters and loyal soldiers, he hit upon an idea. The king had heard of a fertile area somewhere in the vicinity of where they were currently located. On inquiring about the place from the locals there, he found out that the king of that land was no more and the land was in total chaos.

“This is an opportunity for us to capture the place and bring some peace and progress there,” he told his ministers. But the catch was that the place was on the other side of a huge mountain.

The ministers suggested that they get as close to the mountain as possible and then decide what next to do. The army marched closer to the mountain and waited. Suddenly, one of the ministers spotted a goat grazing on top of the mountain.

“Hey, look there! A goat! There must be a path that will take us to the mountain top,” he exclaimed.

Eager to begin a new life the army attempted to climb the rough terrain of the formidable mountain. But very soon they lost their way and did not know how to proceed. They decided to climb down as the sun was setting and very soon it would become dark.

As they were climbing down, they saw a few goats climbing down ahead of them. When the goats had gone past, they saw a lone boy with a stick in his hand. Relieved, the army ran towards him. As they neared him, they realised that the boy was blind!

The king quickly introduced himself as a traveller in search of a livelihood. The boy guided them down mountain. Once they reached the foothills, one of the ministers asked the boy, how he could climb the mountain without being able to see.

The boy giggled mildly and said, “I thank God for making me blind. What is obvious to a blind man is not so obvious to people with vision,” he said.

The king and the ministers had to agree with the boy.

“I feel the spots where the goats step on. It is smoother that the rest of the area. I keep feeling for the spots and follow them,” he said, amused at the ignorance of a great king.

The next day the King and his ministers were seen feeling the rocks before stepping ahead. Very soon the little army were seen marching like tiny ants on top of the mountain!

What is obvious to a blind man is not so obvious to a man who can see!