Susan Boyle - epitomising inspiration!

Every once in a while, nature provides us with a massively uplifting moment that makes us realise there does exist a supernatural force that controls this world.

One such moment for me was the performance of Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent 2009. I am sure many of you have already heard of her and watched the video but I nevertheless feel compelled to write something on this. (See video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY)

Time and again there have been 'born-geniuses' who have had humble beginnings, some have been shunned initially; but they later gave the world ample proof of their supreme talent. Albert Einstein, Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan are a few who readily come to mind. Each of them was thought unfit for their profession but evenutally made it big in the same field and have had an ever-lasting impact on people's lives.

Einstein was thought to be a lunatic because of the unheard of theories that he propounded. Today, many of his theories prove to be the cornerstone for many more theories that we now believe in a jiffy. Tendulkar was thought to be tiny and weak to be a fast bowler at the MRF pace foundation. He did not make it as a fast bowler, but the world got a prodigy, who has given nightmares to bowlers across the world. Amitabh's voice was thought to be too deep and he was thus rejected from All India Radio. That very baritone voice now echoes in our ears through his hundreds of movies. SRK was intially thought to be a small time actor who wouldn't last in the industry beyond a couple of second-grade movies. He has been a prolific actor and today is one of the biggest brands in India.

47-year old Susan Boyle is well on her way to becoming another such celebrity. I was awestruck with her singing and it was truly a jaw-dropping performance. Probably flawless and could have been a one-take recording if she had sung it in a studio. And the choice of the song - I dreamed a dream, from Les Miserables - was poignant considering her background. The video shows the faces in the crowd who seem to pooh-pooh at the very sight of Ms Boyle. But at the moment she begins her mesmerising performance, those very faces turn red with embarrassment.

Imagine being in that position, where you have been written off before you can even begin to make an impression. And then imagine those very judgmental faces when they look at you with amazement of having achieved what they thought you never could. Imagine the unbelievable sense of pride that fills your heart because you gave it back in such a dignified manner! Ah, what I would give to get that feeling!

To find the world rooting for your victory after such an extraordinary performance is a feeling that is beyond words. A truly inspirational moment for me. Reminds us not to judge the book by its cover. Very pertinent today since many of us believe that ultimately it all 'Boyles' down to image.

All in all, it ain't over till the fat lady sings! (sic)

The television interview

I recently stumbled upon a story that made me think about the multifariousness of human thought. One man's meat is another man's poison; one man's loss is another man's gain; and other such idioms kept entering my head. 

These phrases tell us that every person can look at the same situation in different light. Here is a small story on the same lines. Read on:

This story is about an elderly lady in Arkansas. The state voted to increase welfare payments to the indigent. Hoping for a tearjerker story, a television interviewer went into the backhills where many welfare recipients lived.

The old woman he chose to interview lived in a one-room shack: draughty in winter; stifling in summer. Her bed was made of a few rough planks nailed together, with a pine needle mattress. A couple of thin blankets, and a fireplace, did little to protect her from the cold. Her furniture, a table and two chairs, were fashioned from the same rough wood as her bed. Some shelves held a few cans of food from the general store, a three-mile walk down the road. Several jars of preserves and a few squash completed her larder. She had no refrigerator or freezer. The fireplace provided heat for cooking. With no phone or television, her only connection with the outside world was an old radio that pulled in two or three local stations on a good day.

The old woman had one convenience: running water. A crystal clear stream gurgled a short distance behind her home. A small garden near her back door provided fresh vegetables during the summer, and some squash and turnips for the winter. A tidy flower garden brightened the front of her house.

The television crew arrived and set up their big expensive cameras. Their mobile station broadcast pictures of the woman and the place she called home. Eventually, the interviewer asked the old woman, "If the government gave you $200 more each month, what would you do with it?"

Without hesitation, the woman replied, "I'd give it to the poor."