Cuneatus

It's another Jan 01 and the inboxes of all my social network sites are flooding with new year wishes from friends and relatives. Sometimes, I think if it's worth wishing them back (though, I do wish them all, maybe mechanically). There are some people whom you want to wish something specific in their lives, good or bad. But, the question is - who's listening to you? Our ears are either plugged with earphones most of the time or blocked with impacted wax that needs a forceps to be extracted out. Most often, the ear canals are just tubes with blind ends that don't reach the grey matter inside our skull. The end result of such ignominious anatomy of our ears is that we don't understand half the things we hear. Rather, we hear. But don't listen. You would exercise better control over your anger if we could take some time out to listen to the meanings of sounds. Listening requires thinking. It doesn't come to everyone. So, this morning, I was typing a reply

After a satisfying year at Dehradun, I have been posted to Leh. Though the journey to Leh through Chandigarh was more time consuming than it should have been, landing here makes me feel it was worth the effort. I'm living in a small room with basic amenities and no luxury. But there are larger blessings on offer. River Indus is flowing in all its glory right in front of my quarter. The constant turbulence of the river is a pleasure to the eyes and it's constant burble rings round the clock in my ears. The rocks and pebbles here are smooth and rounded. Himalayan mountains stand as mute witness to the immaculate flow of the river. I can capture the mountains, their snow-clad peaks, clouds wandering through the sunrays, pine trees in rich foliage and the Indus flowing in elegance with my eyes. I'm standing at the very place where time stood testimony to mankind, at the cradle of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Years 2016 and 2017 have proved to be the turning points in my life. Chronologically, I cleared my MD exam in Nov 2016, worked in the State Institute of Health and Family Welfare, Bangalore for 6 months and then came the bumper draw. I cleared the Short Service Commission interview. This was my fifth stint at the selection but the joy of clearing the interview and physical examination is certainly long-lasting. Today, I'm a Medical Officer in the world's second largest army and ninth largest employer, the Indian Army. I got commissioned to the rank of Captain on July 12, 2017. You never know what life has in store for you. Keep believing in yourself and work hard. You deserve the best.