It was just a little over a month ago that Fernando Verdasco scripted one of the best sporting matches in history along with Rafael Nadal in the semi finals of the Australian open. That five setter which had all of us on the edge of our seats - that amazing spectacle which had all the elements of life in a 5 hour 14 minutes span is still etched in the minds of anyone who watched the match. But the name of Fernando Verdasco is not one that comes as easily to our lips as that of a certain Mr.Nadal who went on to win the title at Melbourne Park.
In fact, "Verdasco" would never have crossed the thoughts of someone who did not watch the match but merely saw the scoreboard and it is highly unlikely to do so for the rest of their lives. They wouldn't know of the effort, dedication and supreme sportsmanship he displayed to stretch the match to a world record length. The painful tale of how he fought off the angst of an injury and battled on with some powerful winners and serves only to ironically double-fault in the 10th game of the 5th set to concede the match (and quite possibly the Australian Open) to Nadal is one which has already been forgotten.
It is a weird world, the one which we inhabit. Completing two runs with a lunge for the crease when the throw comes in is dubbed "great running and tremendous athleticism". Being run out by an inch while attempting the same two runs is a "needless waste of a wicket". The margin of error is that slight - a thin line which separates the heroes and the villains. You set off for the second run because you are "confident" that you can make it. If you do make it, your confidence is lauded. If you don't, you are just stupid.
We've all had our share of close misses. But the bottom line is nobody cares, except yourself. I myself have rambled on for two years about CAT 2007 and how my score of 98.95 percentile was just short of IIM Calcutta's cut off of 98.96 percentile. How I missed out by 0.08 marks when the least count in CAT was 1 mark. But the way the world sees it, I am a person who didn't make it while others did. I can argue about how unfair that is, and how 0.01 percentile was not something that set me aside from the people who got calls. But I have found out that it is best to save my breath.
William Henry Davies in his poem, leisure, said "It is a queer life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare". When the once considered soaring finance field crashes and burns consuming everything around it the very next day, you can take it for granted that life is certainly queer and people have no time to stand or stare, let alone sympathise with you. Fernando Verdasco may go on and win a grand slam in the future, but until that day he will remain in obscurity.After all, in the digital age if you are not the one you are a zero.
i remember coming second in my class once and was only 1 mark behind the girl who was first and my dad went like 'beaten is beaten'...so i didnt really fret too much when i missed the best college in the country by 2 marks after class xii...count your blessings, stay positive!
ReplyDeletecat is no big deal da. any jaffa can clear it. All hype only... u didnt miss anything at all. y this serious blog all of a sudden???
ReplyDelete"After all, in the digital age if you are not the one you are a zero." That's a pretty scary thing to say. But since people are fickle, does it really matter what the world perceives you to be? Do you really need people to sympathize with you? Who are "people" anyway, but a nameless, faceless crowd whose opinions don't matter a scat. Isn't it enough that you know you gave something your best shot? If a person is a "one" in something he/she may be a "zero" in another. I think there is enough space in this planet for "ones" and "zeros" and all the fractions that come in between. :)
ReplyDeleteStay happy.
ehehe...very serious post.But its true tat the world sees people like tat..they have no time to analyze someone elses life,obviously coz they are busy with their own.Just like insatiably put it..no need to give a F**k.But it mite hurt in the beginning to not get lauded..but just like u mentioned,if hes tat good,he mite b world no: one some day and not world no-one.
ReplyDelete{ but i think hes atleast better than jankovic coz she never won a grandslam and was still no 1 .. :P )
Very nice post.. this somewhat reminded me of good guys finish last.. though i know they are on different topics :)
ReplyDeleteLove the serious u.. who doesnt write posts just for the heck of it. u make me think tony. and u make me laugh. its just on two different blogs n i love it :)
bang on! thats the tragedy of our times! cut throat competition is here to stay and a mark here n there makes the cut :) nice line of thought.
ReplyDelete@Affy, Pedro, Malady
ReplyDeleteI think you missed the point (or maybe I didn't put it well enough). Counting your blessings and staying positive is different from missing out real close. The real message would be "You got so close, next time you HAVE to get there"
@Shrecko
Ah yes lucky Jankovic!
@Srav
Thanks a ton :)
@YT
Thank you :)