I was returning home.
Just a month ago, I had taken membership in an international club, Toastmasters International, to sharpen my public speaking skill, which continues to be a nightmare even after three sessions. The best thing about this club is that here you have all round encouragement and all your fumbles in your attempt to speak go totally ignored. So it has been a very good session, so far, every evening of Saturdays from 6 to 8. You will find it later, why I am recalling it here.
All sessions with my octogenarian friend have only been enriching. I had left the meshed entrance door slightly open as I entered. Mr. Menon, noted that and said, " Narayanan, you have kept the door ajar. That is the word for keeping door slightly opened". Soon his sister walked in with a cup of hot coffee. It was too hot and as I was busy I began sipping it quickly. Another comment followed, "Don't gulp, sip". Meanwhile, I handed over to him my mobile to let him to read my previous day's short write up. He finished and commented, "Don't you know the word for keeping mosquitoes and flies away". I said no. "It is swat".
So what happened on my ride back home?. A man in his bike, over tooking me, lifted his helmet to spit. I felt as if he overtook me only for this exercise. I honked from his behind repeatedly and waved my hands which he saw in his mirror. He slowed down. Then I moved and stopped in front of him. He removed the helmet to show the world his youth and asked me. "Why, what is the matter?". Setting politeness at its pinnacle, I replied, "You spat just a few minutes ago and I just escaped being smeared on with your saliva. Is it good to spit on the go and with the wind like this? Couldn't you have done that inside the open sewage rather than on the road or on a rider who is behind you". There was no semblance of regret in his reply. "OK, I shall take care", he pulled back his helmet and rode fast. I felt happy that he loved his dear ones.
Coming back to my Toastmaster exposure, we have a session in which we put 10 questions in a session called Tabletopics, during which members are called forth to answer questions posed by the tabletopic master. All choose questions for themselves blindly from the shreds of printouts given to them, all in two minutes. The sessions are neatly structured and all are encouraged to take part, to come out of their shells. Last week I was the Tabletopic master.
Due to time constraints only seven questions could be put and among the three that remained unanswered, I experienced the answer for it that day. My question was, "How would you react, if a two wheeler rider riding infront of you, spits and spoils your new clothes".
