My Grandpa My Inspiration My Coach

Article written by Laxmi Narasimha Chary for certificate course HOSD 2015, Christ University

'' Feel what you feel, know what you know, and set your relatives free to do the same ''. 

This is an essay about my grandpa. It is not only an essay but my incidents with my grandpa. He is the great business man and most calm, disciplined person I have ever seen in my entire life. He has been both a figure and a friend to me. I could never imagine my life with him. He had taught me so much, but a few things really stand out. He has taught me to never give up and try and try again. But there was a time when he was also faced a lot of troubles in his life. But what kept him going was a fighting spirit. It is very rightly said that Grandparents are the best persons to have a chat in, because you get to learn a lot from their experiences in life, and experience only leads to excellence.

 Grandpa was the first person to give me a cricket batting glove and to play catch with me. My first glove was as small as the size of my whole hand is now. When Grandpa got me that glove I was very excited. I was so happy I even slept with it at my side. It was my pride and joy. When I was ten, I played on my first cricket team and my grandfather was the advisor. He wanted me to play only the role of the batsmen, but I like to play the role of an all rounder. Later, my grandpa was very proud of the way I played that season and he has worked with me ever since to make me a better all rounder. 

My grandfather is 70 old. He is in great physical condition, strong as a bull and very active. My grandpa still looks after the business and gives suggestions to my dad. He is well-known around town and everybody loves him because of his dedication on his work. Grandpa has helped me become not only a better player, but a better sport and an all-around better person. I owe him all my success in cricket and in my life. Today my grandfather is too old to help me with my playing, but he still comes to every practice and game. . He sits and watches my practices through rain and shine. He was named our cricket team's number one fan by my coach. I love him and hope he will be around for many more years to support me and cricket.

 He is 70 and the memories of 1947 independence is still alive in him. It feels like a roller coaster ride when I listen to some brave and fighting stories from him. He has shared his experience of "how India gained independence” from him. Whenever I was down with my life he was the only one who motivated me. Sometimes talking to him feels so much good, it feels as if with the best learned person. We used to go for holidays and it has always been a craziest experience with him. I feel very blessed living each day with him.

I wish he was here

Article written by Dilun Tatak for certificate course HOSD 2015, Christ University
 

My grand uncle's name is Digong but I call him Yayi which means father in my native tongue. He is a seventy year old man who looks as if he is a century old. I cant recall any moment when he looked a day younger but looks can be deceiving because I have seen him plough our ancestral land and chop woods in the forest and i am sure many young people such as myself wont be able to do the things he does. He loves his village and his farm. He tills the land and listens to nobody when they tell him to take a break. As a child my fondest memories with him were in the village where he taught me how to swim in the village river, catch fish with a bamboo stick and a string, plant crops and showed me the rich flora and fauna of our village. When he was younger he took active part in the district elections. He would go to every house in the village educating the people about elections as majority of the people in the village were illiterate during that time. He would sometimes get into brawls and win them too. My dad would brag about this to his friends. 

When he was in his thirty's my grandfather shifted to a town nearby but he remained in the village. From that day onwards till now we have to go to the village if we wanted to see him for he rarely made a visit to the town. His reason for hating the town was that he loved the sound of nature more than the noise of a town. During Solung(festival),he would lead the war dance which was to displayed before the commencement of any festival in the village. 

He would also donate a lot of crops and cattle during these celebrations and probably because of it he was very well respected by everyone. He is old now but he had his share of fun during his youth. That's what he keeps telling me. Whenever I ask him about happiness and life he would always say a happy life is what everyone should seek for and not materialistic gains. 

For him happiness 

• growing crops and vegetables in his farm
• fishing silently on the river
• living peacefully in the village without the disturbance of modern technology
• enjoying what nature has to offer him
• if a person is contended with what he has then he'll always be happy.

My grand uncle is one of my favorite among my relatives for he is a wise man who is always so generous and kind to everyone he comes across. I'm so grateful to him for teaching me so many things in life and I wish he was here with me right now so I could tell him that I love him.

My Grandfather

Article written by K G George for certificate course HOSD 2015, Christ University

Everyone in this life has met a lot of people with different personalities, but only a few of these people has inspired each of us. For me it was my grandfather, Anthony Kuriakose, who has implemented me with a lot of inspiration, wisdom, and guidance. An engineer who was transferred to work in Japan in the 1970's.He never complained about it. My grandfather is a person who inspires people to look at things from a different perspective or angle. Seeing things in a different point of view sometimes helps people to understand their life or thoughts better. Thinking things out before you react can help people not to make a mistake. His wisdom has made me analyze things. He has always said that you can work harder or work smarter. Meaning that using your head is helpful in getting the task accomplished. That's why the more driven you are, the further you will get in life.For instance, he has given me guidance on how college is important. Without having a college degree you have a hard time being able to get through life living comfortably. What you learn and achieve in college is applied throughout the rest of your life. I think that now, you can see how my grandfather has implemented his inspiration, wisdom, and guidance through me and other people. Being able to think things out will make you able to understand what is going on in everything you do in your life.

 A few days back he turned 72. I called him up and wished him. It felt really good hearing his voice. Even at this age, he buys groceries, goes to the bank and visits his younger daughter who lives 60 kilometers away. He likes to fix things, something which reminds him of the days he worked as an engineer. The eldest of 8 children, he had to work really hard and was a role model to his younger siblings. A topper in math during 12th grade, he was very focused and determined. Always very serious and quiet, he believes in having a simple lifestyle.

The fondest memories I have of my grandfather are when I used to visit my mother’s house during summer vacations. It was a something to look forward to. After an endless number of exams, my grandfather would come in his car to pick me up. Our conversations would keep going until the end of the 2 hour journey from Kochi to Kothamangalam (My mother’s place). He used to tell me about his 2 year stay in Japan. How he struggled with the food (He’s a bit picky when it comes to food) and also taught me whatever little Japanese that he knew. I was always fascinated by science as a kid and the best person to ask questions was my grandfather. He always had an answer. Summer vacations were the best time to learn new things. My grandfather taught me how to ride a cycle, shoot a gun, play chess, drive (a bit), and a lot more things. He’s taught me so much that I have a hard time remembering everything.
 
When I asked my mother about the earliest memory of her father she told me “he sits in front of the table fiddling with various batteries, bulbs and various other mechanical parts with his tools.” Thinking about what she just said I realized that it was also my earliest recollection of my grandfather.