My Hero

My Hero

It has been a while I have written a blog. This blog is about somebody so dear to me, that I believe he is part of me. A great individual, wonderful professional, amazing orator, sincere mentor, keen learner with unbounded curiosity, desh bhakt, talented artist and well rounded human being. I have been fortunate to be born as his son. My Hero, Shri. T.N.Menon   .

It was a Sunday morning and I was searching for my father. Then I figured out that he had shut himself in the bedroom. Both me and my mother was wondering what was he doing. And there comes the surprise!! After couple of months his short story was published by a popular Malayalam magazine.

                 

While I write this blog a stream of fond memories about him flows into my mind.

He was a great individual, noble, versatile, erudite, sincere, hard working and benevolent. He always lived in present. I have never seen him complaining about past or being anxious about future. A true 'karma yogi'. He always found time for his family. Even when he was CEO of two big public sector companies of Kerala, Travancore Cochin Chemicals and  Malabar Cements, he found time to spend with my mother, me and brother. He was jovial and expressive. Never used to hold his emotions within him. Always transparent as water. He used to lead a simple life with very little requirements, to an extend detached of material world and was inclined to help his fellow being who were in need of help or guidance.

Acha, Amma & Sidu near Bharatapuzha

A father from whom we children got to learn a lot from. Eventhough he left us few months back, what he taught us by role modelling the principles and values he stood for through out his life is guiding me everyday. I remember those days when I was probably less than ten years of age he used to take me to Kalamassery railway station and tell me stories about the engine driver, and I used to feel engine drivers are the real heroes in this world!! He used to take me for evening walks on Military Depot Road, in Kalamassery (where I was brought up), and I can still feel his soft palms as he held my hand as we walked together. He used to take me near a stream which used flow beside the road and narrate how fishermen used to catch fish, which season what trees blossomed, his childhood stories. He was a wonderful story teller and as he narrated those stories I used to watch him with admiration. He always shared lessons he learned from his life which has helped us to grow into confident individuals.

He was a wonderful professional . Played a pivotal role in turning around two loss making public sector enterprises, Travancore Cochin Chemicals and Malabar Cements, into profit making enterprises. He was keen learner, extremely hard working, disciplined and had strong value system in place. He was part of public enterprises board, board member of several companies, guest faculty in colleges and list goes on. Later on he started his on portfolio management and stock broking firm which did extremely well. Hardwork, discipline and passion which I have seen in his professional life is something which I have tried to imbibe as a professional. If at all, I am successful, credit goes to my father because he was my role model.

He was a sincere mentor. Every day after dinner we used to go for walks. He used to talk about Sanadhana Dharma, Bhagawat Gita, behavioural science, about decision making, financial prudence, economics, politics and so on. He used to explain using simple example which I could grasp and showed his competence as a teacher.

At Gangaikondacholapuram

 He was a keen learner with unbounded curiosity. I have fond memories of those days when I was doing my final year of engineering. My father was giving Chartered Financial Analyst exams. When I used to go and wish him 'Good Night' I used to find him sitting near his study table engrossed in his studies. Used to wonder, here is me, sleeping like a kumbakarna and my father is burning his midnight oil. He learned Yoga in his early forties and was practitioner of Yoga through out his life. Learned German and conversed with Germans who came on business visits in German. Learned Homepathy and used to prescribe us drugs for sore throat and muscular pains and it was really effective!! He was a voracious reader and made a point to read an hour every day before going to sleep. I am yet to start this in my life.... He introduced me to computers. Remember the day he presented me Casio portable PC in which I could do BASIC programming (this was 30 years ago when computers were unheard of). Currently I work in Adobe Systems and have written many lines of code, but the first lines were written with my father's guidance.

He was a  desh bhakt. Always proud to be an Indian, he used to tell me how great our culture and art is and how deep our philosophy is. It was true inspiration for me to hear him speak about our mother land. I used to tell him how people used to complain about what India does not have and he used to tell me "Vinu, instead of finding fault, think what positive change you can bring"

He was multi faceted with skills to write well, used to do oil painting of landscapes and portrait, including a wonderful portrait of my grandfather.

Acha!!! I can still feel your warm soft palms as you held my tiny little hands during those evening walks and I feel you are still holding me as the values and knowledge that you passed on to me guide me though the twists and turns of my life.

Acha I miss you!!!!!! But you are there with me.........