A strange brotherhood
Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 4:15 pm
Its very strange how some books never leave you. Illusions by Richard Bach is one of them, I loved it so much that I read it again and again over the years. In fact I read almost 90% of his books after that. Out of Illusions the master talks about how you magnetize your true family, just be yourself and pop the people on the same frequency begin to materialise.
I began to feel alone after my only brother immigrated to Australia, so though we stayed in touch through various voice messengers, VOIP and normal ISD'S it wasn't the same. I mean I couldn't just jump into a car and be at his place for lunch now could I? And so it went with the long emails and conversations on the phone a desperate bid on both our sides not to let the distance get between us.
But the loneliness always stayed. And then one day, I for the heck of it joined a yahoo group. You could say it was totally out of my comfort zone but the group shared a common passion. As the months got on I became addicted to logging in at least once a day, it was a bit like the neighbourhood adda, you strolled in during the lunch hour or after work exchanged a few hello's and got out.
Slowly, the guys dropped their aliases and began to call each other up. It became a boisterous first meeting at a 'Ruby Tuesday', it was so strange to find this group of army, software engineers, doctors and a few advertising types bonding over some hopp flavoured beverage and snacks. Its been about two years now and this band has grown into about five hundred all across India.
But the bunch in Delhi is small about six or seven who somehow manage to sneak a few hours out of their week to meet up. The group is the one that I have mentioned in my fishing stories and they are all real and crazy as loons. When you meet them they have all the camo of normality sprayed all over them they are serious professionals, dedicated husbands, fathers and sons but pull out a fiberglass fishing rod or even hint about a new rod and the layers peel off.
Like children we chatter about hook sizes, tackle boxes, reels and rendezvous points. Like children, one will give you stuff from his tackle box, that he has had to walk over crushed glass to bring into the country. In fact at times its downright unbearable the amount a chap and give away to you without taking anything in return. Feeling bored or had a sudden insight about the same passion feel free to message away. In fact its like an unwritten code, the brotherhood never calls you on your duty hours, if they do its pretty rare. But my gawd you can message thru out the day.
Once the better half was amused no end as we guys exchanged notes on a planned outing. She said that she recently read somewhere in a women's magazine that the most common cover for extra marital affairs was...you guessed it fishing and camping. Thank God that my unsightly looks are enough to keep her suspicions at bay. Who would date a pot belied 42 year old who is tall, dark and... not quite there in the third word.
Its been two years since I clicked on to this wonderful 'league of extraordinary weirdos' and the days are packed online and weekends are crowded. I'm not saying that I don't miss my brother, the kids and Bhabi but its no longer as lonely. We are planning to get our better halves together soon but being typical guys we worry about what they'll do when we begin to yak yak yak.
OK even this happened sometime ago and even they(the wives) get along just fine. So maybe I've lost one brother but in a weird way have found an extended family.
Hope that you all are just as lucky.
I began to feel alone after my only brother immigrated to Australia, so though we stayed in touch through various voice messengers, VOIP and normal ISD'S it wasn't the same. I mean I couldn't just jump into a car and be at his place for lunch now could I? And so it went with the long emails and conversations on the phone a desperate bid on both our sides not to let the distance get between us.
But the loneliness always stayed. And then one day, I for the heck of it joined a yahoo group. You could say it was totally out of my comfort zone but the group shared a common passion. As the months got on I became addicted to logging in at least once a day, it was a bit like the neighbourhood adda, you strolled in during the lunch hour or after work exchanged a few hello's and got out.
Slowly, the guys dropped their aliases and began to call each other up. It became a boisterous first meeting at a 'Ruby Tuesday', it was so strange to find this group of army, software engineers, doctors and a few advertising types bonding over some hopp flavoured beverage and snacks. Its been about two years now and this band has grown into about five hundred all across India.
But the bunch in Delhi is small about six or seven who somehow manage to sneak a few hours out of their week to meet up. The group is the one that I have mentioned in my fishing stories and they are all real and crazy as loons. When you meet them they have all the camo of normality sprayed all over them they are serious professionals, dedicated husbands, fathers and sons but pull out a fiberglass fishing rod or even hint about a new rod and the layers peel off.
Like children we chatter about hook sizes, tackle boxes, reels and rendezvous points. Like children, one will give you stuff from his tackle box, that he has had to walk over crushed glass to bring into the country. In fact at times its downright unbearable the amount a chap and give away to you without taking anything in return. Feeling bored or had a sudden insight about the same passion feel free to message away. In fact its like an unwritten code, the brotherhood never calls you on your duty hours, if they do its pretty rare. But my gawd you can message thru out the day.
Once the better half was amused no end as we guys exchanged notes on a planned outing. She said that she recently read somewhere in a women's magazine that the most common cover for extra marital affairs was...you guessed it fishing and camping. Thank God that my unsightly looks are enough to keep her suspicions at bay. Who would date a pot belied 42 year old who is tall, dark and... not quite there in the third word.
Its been two years since I clicked on to this wonderful 'league of extraordinary weirdos' and the days are packed online and weekends are crowded. I'm not saying that I don't miss my brother, the kids and Bhabi but its no longer as lonely. We are planning to get our better halves together soon but being typical guys we worry about what they'll do when we begin to yak yak yak.
OK even this happened sometime ago and even they(the wives) get along just fine. So maybe I've lost one brother but in a weird way have found an extended family.
Hope that you all are just as lucky.
, to add more kindling to the fire we actually went to the same notorious all boys school hee hee 
