ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ/React (Harsh FB Post) Vs ಸ್ಪಂದನೆ/Respond (This Blog)

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ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ/React (Harsh FB Post) Vs ಸ್ಪಂದನೆ/Respond (This Blog)
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ನನಗೆ ಬಂದ ಸಿಟ್ಟಿಗೂ facebook ಅಥವಾ instagramಗೂ connection ಇದ್ದಿದ್ದರೆ ಅತ್ಯುಗ್ರವಾದ post ಅಲ್ಲಿರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಆದರೆ ತಾಳ್ಮೆ ಗೆದ್ದಿತ್ತು ಮತ್ತು ಈ blogಗೆ ಕಾರಣವಾಯ್ತು.

ಮೂವತ್ತು ನಿಮಿಷಗಳ ಸೈಕಲ್ ತುಳಿತ, ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಆವೇಗಗಳ ಗುದ್ದಾಟಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ಮೂಡಿತು ಈ ಕಾಲ್ಪನಿಕ ಕಥೆ.

ಒಬ್ಬ ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತರ ತರುಣ ತನ್ನನ್ನು ತಾನು ಹಿಂದೆಂದೂ ಕಾಣದ ಜಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡು ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯಚಕಿತನಾದ. ಅವನೆದುರಿರುವ ಗೇಟ್ ತೆಗೆದು ಒಳಗೆ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಿದಾಗ ಕಂಡ ಮೊದಲ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯ ಕೇಳಿದ 'ಇದು ಯಾವ ಜಾಗ?'

ಚಿತ್ರಗುಪ್ತ ಉತ್ತರಿಸಿದ 'ಇದು ದೇವಲೋಕ'

ಕೋಪದಿಂದ ಕುದಿಯುತ್ತಾ 'ಇಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೇಗೆ ಬಂದೆ? ಅಪ್ಪ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಗೆ ಕರೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗುವಾಗ 'ಧೈರ್ಯದಿಂದಿರು ನೀನಗೇನೂ ಆಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ' ಎನ್ನುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ನಾನು ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಗೆ?'

'ಮಗು, ನೀನು ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆ ತಲುಪಿದೆ. ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಡಾಕ್ಟರುಗಳು ಅವರ ಎಲ್ಲ ಶಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಉಪಯೋಗಿಸಿದರು. ಆದರೂ ಸಫಲರಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ. ನಿನ್ನ ಅಪ್ಪನಿಗೆ ಹೇಳಿದರು 'ಅರ್ಧ ಘಂಟೆ ಮುಂಚೆ ತಲುಪಿದ್ದರೆ ಬದುಕುತ್ತಿದ್ದ'

'ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆ ಮನೆಯಿಂದ ಬಹಳ ದೂರವಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಆಂಬುಲೆನ್ಸ್ ಕೂಡ ತಕ್ಷಣ ಬಂದಿತ್ತು. ಆದರೂ ಹೀಗೇಕೆ?'

'ನಿನಗೆ ನೆನಪಿಲ್ಲವೇ ಮಗು. ಆಗ ಬೆಳಗಿನ peak hour ಟ್ರಾಫಿಕ್. ಎಲ್ಲಾ ವಾಹನ ಸವಾರರಿಗೂ ಮೊದಲು ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ತಲುಪುವ ಆಲೋಚನೆ. ಕೆಲವು ಲಗೇಜ್ ಆಟೋಗಳಿಗೂ, ನೀರಿನ ಟ್ಯಾಂಕರ್ ಗಳಿಗೂ ತಮ್ಮ ಕೆಲಸ ಬೇಗ ಮುಗಿಸುವ ಕಾತರ. ಹೀಗೆ ರಸ್ತೆ ತುಂಬಾ ತಾವು ಸರಿ ಸಮಯಕ್ಕೆ ತಲುಪುವುದು ಆಂಬುಲೆನ್ಸ್ ಗೆ ದಾರಿ ಕೊಡುವುದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿದವರೇ . ಅವರಿಗೆ ಒಳಗಿರುವ ನಿನ್ನ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ ತಿಳಿದಿದ್ದರೆ ಹಾಗೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲವೋ ಏನೋ .

'ಇಲ್ಲಾ.... ಅದು ಬಹಳ basic civic sense (ನಾಗರೀಕ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞೆ) . ನನ್ನ ತಂದೆ ಯಾವಾಗಲೂ ನನಗೆ ಹೇಳಿಕೊಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ನಾನು ಯಾವಾಗಲೂ ಪಾಲಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಉಳಿದವರಿಗೂ ಪಾಲಿಸಲು ಆಗ್ರಹಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆ. ನಾನಿಲ್ಲಿರುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಅವರೇ ಕಾರಣ. ನನಗೆ ಅವರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಬೇಕು. ಸಿಗಬಹುದೇ?'

ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನದ ನಂತರ ಚಿತ್ರಗುಪ್ತ ಅವನಿಗೆ ಒಂದು ಪಟ್ಟಿ ಇತ್ತ . ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿ ವಿವರ ವಿಡಿಯೋ ಕ್ಲಿಪ್ ಸಮೇತ ಇತ್ತು. 'ಇದರಿಂದ ನೀನೇನು ಮಾಡುವೆ?'

'Ditto' ಎಂದ ಆ ಹುಡುಗ

ನಮಗೆ ತಿಳಿದಿರುವಂತೆ ಮರಣ ನಂತರ ಪಡೆದ ಹೇರಳವಾದ ಶಕ್ತಿ, ಚಿತ್ರಗುಪ್ತ ಮತ್ತು ಯಮರ ಸಹಕಾರದಿಂದ ಕೆಳಗಿನದು ಬಹಳ ಬೇಗ ನಡೆಯಿತು.

ಆ ನಗರದ ಸ್ಮಶಾನಗಳು ಬಿಡುವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ದಿನಪೂರ್ತಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಿದರೂ ಮರುದಿನಕ್ಕೆ ಮಿಗುವಂತೆ ಕೆಲಸವಿರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಎಲ್ಲ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ವಾಹನ ಮತ್ತು ಜನರಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಎಲ್ಲರ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಸರಾಗವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ನಾಗರಿಕರಿಗೆ ಇದರಿಂದ ಉಳಿದ ಸಮಯವನ್ನು ಹೇಗೆ ಕಳೆಯಬೇಕೆಂದು ತಿಳಿಯದೆ ಬೇಜಾರಿನಲ್ಲಿದ್ದರು.

ಅದೇ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ದೇವಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಆ ಹುಡುಗನಿಗೆ ಇನ್ನಿಲ್ಲದ ಆದರ ಮತ್ತು ಅಭಿಮಾನ ದೊರೆಯಿತು. 'Ditto' ಜನರು ತಮ್ಮ ತಪ್ಪಿಗಾಗಿ ಪರಿತಪಿಸಿದರು. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಮುಂದಿನ ಜನುಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೀಗಾಗದಿರುವಂತೆ ನೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತೇವೆಂದು ಪ್ರಮಾಣಿಸಿದರು.

--ಶುಭಾರಂಭ ---

We-I-Are-Us and not VIRUS

My assumption that I would have been one of the very few who would have turned up to be a volunteer was shattered on my first visit to The Department of Information and Public Relation (DIPR) office in March. I was one of 5000 at that point in time. 4,999 of whom were up and running almost 4 weeks before I went there.

This Crisis has shown the world that when I becomes V by stretching your arms to unite as US, the journey towards post COVID becomes blissfully fulfilling.

My journey started with filling up a google form for Corona Warriors, a call from DIPR and meeting with key stakeholders to plan distribution of physical ID cards for volunteers. Each one in that room was a volunteer. However, when I had to choose between this and cycling as a Relief Rider, I had to let go former.

Relief Riders was a movement started by BicycleMayor of Bengaluru, to help senior and immobile citizens with essentials on a bicycle. We recorded a whopping 250+ sorties right across Bengaluru in just a couple of months. Mention of a couple of rides is essential here. 

- A kid on hearing aid for both ears, was using just one to aptly use available batteries (lack of availability). Our network of cyclists found these batteries in one part of Bengaluru and a relay of 5 cyclists delivered it to a smiling child.

- A person in Electronic City needs Oral Chemo medicine for his ailing Mother, it was available only at one hospital in Bengaluru. We pulled it off by doing a relay of 4 cyclists. 

- An old age home needed groceries for 12 dwellers, a group of four cyclists, completed this in one go.

We have in excess of 250 such stories in ReliefRiders.

Each such ride resulted in a few sighs of relief and smiles at the recipient's home. Also, it showed us the watery eyes that wanted to greet us the way they could have greeted us PRE COVID.

The gesture by the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru to invite us over on our bicycles and extending their gratitude was an icing on the cake.

With Unlock in progress, and reduced relief calls, focus shifted to Home Quarantine Neighbourhood Watch and Care task. The task of calling, consoling, convincing and re-assuring the citizens under home quarantine is being run by only volunteers. Each call to a new person is to spread awareness and hope.

One of the doctors in a WhatsApp video was mentioning about roles and responsibilities of each citizen in helping severely stressed administration in this first of its kind crisis. At this point in time, these wouldn't be called giving it back, it would working together as US.

Just look around and get going. We-I-Are-US.

Ciao!

Oh My God! What did I sign-up for....

The title precisely tells about the day 1....

It all started with keeping things ready for the next morning, taking out what to wear, filling water bottles, Energy Bars, Shoes, Socks... the list went on and on... I was just aping my roommate while he was setting his stuff up... While doing that did I realise, I was a kid in front of this PRO-Cyclist..
We planned our bathroom timings, and said our good nights..

I realised, I didn't talk about the bike I was going to ride... I was very keen on having a look before I hit bed... Upon insisting, I was taken to basement room where all bikes were kept... This was really the closest I could have gotten to the Scott Addict Carbon Frame Bike I had purchased before the trip in India... Similar colours... Wilier was the make.. I was hearing the name for the first time, however, all my fellow cyclists were like 'That's one of the best bikes to be on'... That was a HUGE assurance I could take back and sleep on that night..

Next Morning,
I was expecting myself to be one of the firsts at the breakfast area... I was super surprised to see host of them already there... I wasn't quite sure of a few dishes being vegetarian, where my fellow cyclists helped out.. One thing that was standing out was I saw most of them eating heavy breakfasts... I again got back to my aping without realising the repercussions...

Many of them felt I was overly dressed rather wearing one too many for this ride... I did inform them the reason for sleeves on hands and legs to cover my Psoriasis* spots... (*that's the next topic I would cover in a detailed write-up, for a starter, I have been living with this chronic disease for about 9 years now)... and the gamosa was for wiping the sweat off.... My rubber shoes were where most of eyeballs around on... each and everyone there were super surprised and many voiced their concern too...

Post the briefing and photo shoot, we were OFF....
We were under a kilometer off and I realised one of us had made a stop... I felt, I should wait and I did... He was one of the nicest guys I had met and with whom I was tagged with through the trip. "The Tourists" was what we were referred to as...
As soon as he caught up, there was my first uphill, where I struggled... and obviously, got on to the last spot on the pack... I kept my spirits high and rode on for a few more kilometers, once in a while meeting one of our own fellow cyclists or other cyclists.... A nod, A hello or a smile.... and ride on...
All of a sudden I felt a severe pain in my right abdomen... It was like a catch, cramp or whatever one would call it.. however, the pain was deep... I tried to ignore and riding on... I couldn't.. I got off the bicycle, stretched myself, drank some water.. No, the pain didn't subside...Walk was the only possible option with which I barely managed to reach the support vehicle..
'Are you alright mate' was the first question 'No' my answer... 'Do you want to throw the bike in and hop on'... 'Yes'.. that was what I wanted to hear all through the pain... I took off the sleeves on my legs since they were causing a lot of annoyance before I hopped in between the two of them on the front seat... I checked and stopped my Strava, that got my morale to a super duper low... just under 12 kilometers...
I was dejected for the fact that I was not able to live up to the hopes my family, friends and a lot of people had in me which had got me here.. The support crew kind of read what was running between those ears... and told.. It is tough, the heat wave is not helping either... I told them, I really want to get back there on the saddle... 'We would drive you up to the middle of one of the groups and drop you there once you are OK.. riding in a group is definitely going to help you, the first timer' and that did the trick... I got two more as a company, one from Europe and one from UK who were taking it slow is what I thought, since they appeared to be pro cyclists...
We did pretty well for about 87 Kilometers, post which I was advised to hang in a support vehicle while the other two carried on for a little more....
It was a little more since the peak they were climbing had insane elevation, not so good a road and NOT A SINGLE SHADE of tree, neither were there any clouds... The SUN was in his full blaze, causing super dehydration...
I was astonished by the resilience of quite a few cyclists, who didn't give a damn and did reach the hotel on their saddle.. There were a couple who missed the hotel and went another 40 odd kilometers more..
The temperature that day was whopping 34 degree Celsius... All cyclists felt and inquired, 'Wasn't it more like in India?'... I was like 'NO' this is much more than anything we have in Bengaluru :)'. That gave all of them a relief and they were like 'Indian guy is saying it was HOT, which means it was REALLY REALLY HOT :)'
Some of them hit the swimming pool...
Some got appointments from the massage therapist and got their pains relieved..
Almost all went for a beer...
I was just watching and hearing most of their conversations... and was realising how far behind I stand in terms of knowing cycling and being a cyclist in front of these 30 GURUS of CYCLING...
See you on the other side with Day 2!
Ciao!!