Posted in 2021!
So, here is chapter 2! Admiral McRaven talks about his SEAL Training where they had to carry a raft together wherever they used t go, they used to carry it together, they used to paddle it together. One person can not do it all alone, be it anyone, whatever be the limit for the mental toughness for someone, one can not do it alone using his physical ability. In Military, we learnt many things, which gets imprinted in our muscle memory, and it does not go away, and for good. Likewise, I remember, when we were I our junior term, we were taught Camaraderie thru small things, like on a fine Sunday morning, we had come back from morning Sports and we were doing basic stretching and water drill was going on with CSM (Company Sargent Major, generally a senior term Officer Cadet Appointment, who’s in-charge of discipline and junior cadets in a Military Academy). Our CSM was Chaitanya Sir, he came with one single piece of Marie Gold Biscuit and we have been fallen in formation by then. He gave it to the 1st guy and asked him to eat a small part and pass on to the next guy and the condition set was the biscuit should reach till the last guy. It was one single biscuit and we were 30 cadets. There were two options, either learn to share the resources and have a happy Sunday or take a big bite and if it does not reach to the last guy, that means we would see hell in form of Ragda, whole day! See, a small thing, but it taught us camaraderie, like during Lecture cum demonstration (LD) which used to run from 8.45 AM to 12.45 AM and it requires carrying of few things from Kote (Armoury) like INSAS 5.56mm Rifle or sometimes a51 mm Mortar or 84mm Rocket launcher. Few cadets were detailed for particular LD and they used to go and issue those items and they used to miss Breakfast on that day. Guys, who used to go to Yodha Cadets Mess (Warriors’ Mess), used to eat only one or two slices of breads and they used to bring extra slices in their camouflage pant pockets stuffed with a Aloo Tikki or Egg Omlet. These small small things build relationships that even mountains can’t move or the sea waves can’t take away. Officer Cadets from friendly foreign countries like Bhutan, Fiji, Seychelles, Afghanistan, Maldives used to get trained alongside us, and they saying “Jai Hind” gives an entirely different feeling which is hard to understand if you belong to a civilian world. They may become Generals or Chiefs of their country’s armed forces some day and they will never forget the root which built them as a successful leader and the bonding with the Indian Army Course-mates which started with sharing a marie gold biscuit or slices of bread. Admiral McRaven says in this chapter that we are not immune to tragic and untimely events in life, if we are with the right and few people, we can do anything and we can achieve any task! This is what is called life, even to walk you need the leg that is back to put front, I remember and I am honestly grateful to those who were there when I was nothing, they motivated me when I was down and they fought the setbacks and failures with me, then, they were there to celebrate my success, not just getting selected in Army as an Officer, small moments as well, when I got an injury, still they were there, they stood like a rock to support me, and still, if I am feeling low, I call them, and they still listen to me and understand me the most, in life we can’t paddle the raft alone, we owe our success to others around us.
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