Missing the Mark != Hitting the Target

Please do not dismiss the following as "TOILET" Humor, because I want to highlight people's apathy for Basic Public Hygiene.

Being in a software company and having friends in similar places, words like Missing Deadlines, On Target, As Planned and other Managerial Jargon are familiar to one an all, rather they are so common that I feel "nauseated" every time I hear them.

This weekend, I happened to go see a movie with my friends to one of the nicest Multiplexes in Pune. Currently, its not just raining here but pouring "Felines and Canines" for the last few days. With water seeping through various layers of clothing and reaching unwanted, intimate places, the rush for the Restrooms was much higher than that for the movie "Tom, Dick and Harry". I agree that the mad rush at cramped spaces causes people to rush/hush about and get things done in a hurry. But then, you expect people who shell out "some" amount of money to have "some" public mannerisms in getting "things" done.

First, the distance between two stalls was about 12 inches and the partition a whopping 2 !! When I entered, what I saw was really ghastly. people (read Men) had Missed the Mark, not by a whisker but "The Whole Nine Yards". I mean how many ways are there exactly to get this wrong. With "Peer" pressure and more so from the Bladder, you may not hit Bull's Eye, but missing the Bull is to much too digest. I have seen more cleanliness and beauty?? in the "Sulabh Toilets" just outside the Bus Depot at Dadar of all places.

This is probably the only one thing a person can claim as an entire independent task since the age of 4. Rest all he is dependent on someone or the other. This is his one chance to be in "Hall of Fame". The only thing these people achieve is painting themselves over the "Wall of Shame" !!

I am with MDM for 2+ years and we had some lapses in the past, but none so glaring than the one observed at some of the Plush Oft-Visited Public Places.

Q: Where have the mannerisms gone ?
A: Probably Flushed down the Drain

FEDERER => Numero Uno

F : Flair
E : Elegance
D : Delightful
E : Exquisite
R : Regal
E : Epitome
R : Royal

Damn, His name is so short. Letters like G: Greatest, S: Supreme, SimplySuperb (in Benaud English) somehow don't fit. The man transcends everything you would find in the multitudes of Sporting Lexicons. His demeanor On and Off Court is so adorable that it almost seems untrue. He possesses what I feel is an innate swagger and a tremendous will power to excel.

Last Sunday, I watched him play (was rather privileged to watch him play) the Finals of The Championships and Boy, was he on song from the word go... The walk to the chair with the Cream Colored Flannel Blazer seemed as easy as a stroll in the park for a kid. The Non-Chalant attitude that he displayed without the slightest hint of arrogance was one to marvel at.

The first set was a breeze with Nadal not having a clue of the surface. The point on which Roger claimed the set was an Amazing Backhand Cross court that he whipped with extreme precision. He sure does not love his opponents but definitely cherishes winning Games and Sets at Love.
The second set began on a discordant note for the champion, yet came back to break Nadal as he was about to Serve out the set. He pulled from a mini-break down in the Tie-Break to take an almost unassailable lead at 2 - 0.
The third set produced the best phase of the game in which the Spaniard managed to hold his own by some amazing returns. Federer is not quite the Tie-Break King as Michael Stich and the loss of his first set at Wembley in 30 odd sets did prove that he is Human after all.
The fourth set was All Federer and for the first time, I saw him afraid and nervous of winning. He actually conceded a Break while serving for the Championships but wrapped up the Match on his next service game at "Love".

He also never seems to be out of words at Award Ceremonies or Interviews and yet never gives a whiff of arrogance nor is he a snob nor does he display false Modesty. Sometime back I was watching an interview in which he was asked "What took you so long (2 years) to win a Grand Slam Title after beating Sampras at Wimbledon ?". His answer was as sharp as his serve : "It was a good thing that I did not win early because I was not ready to handle the accolades" !!A perfect role model for our generation and a slap in the face for today's brash youngsters, teeny bopper tennis kids who flash "Quoted" and Tantra/Mantra T-Shirts but Zero Brilliance.

Unlike Sampras who shied away from Clay and Courier who shied away from Grass, he never seems to not try winning even on his least favored surface against heavily favored opponents. Thats the Genius of the man. He might not break Sampras' 14 Grand Slam Titles record, he may not win a single French Open Title (though both are very much on the cards), or he may never win a Grand Slam (all 4 in a year), leave alone 2 Grand Slams like Laver, but for me Federer would still remain the Numero Uno Tennis Player.