ManU 3 - Chelsea (Nil) I Love Soccer Still !!

Having slept really late this Saturday night, I wasn't particularly keen on getting up (relatively) early this Sunday. But then a friend called and asked me to come over to watch the Manchester United and Chelsea clash with him. After having not followed, leave alone watched any football for the last few months, I was happy to let another match go by and enjoy some extra sleep time instead. But the friend persisted and called me a second time, to check if I had gotten out of bed. So, reluctantly I pulled myself out of it.

As I reached his room, he had plenty of snacks ready to see us through the match. Okay, so he made me get up early when I didn't want to but perhaps it would not be all that bad, after all.

Man U were playing at home, at the Old Trafford. A stadium which can seat more than 75,000 fans and is still packed to capacity week in and week out for every match of the premiership. For the uninitiated, the 'premiership' a.k.a. the EPL is the domestic football league in England ;) I didn't care to explain what ManU and Chelsea were because even the 'uninitiated' would know about them. And if they don't, then they ought to !!

So, the match got underway but nothing particularly exciting happened for a good part of the first half. Me and my friend, both United fans ( trust me not to share a beer with a Chelsea or an Arsenal fan) were a little disappointed to see some of the United players not really in the groove. We were already in one ;)

Some chances here and there but the trigger on this match was finally pulled, when in the injury time of the first half, Vidic gave United the lead. This was moments after United were denied a goal through Ronaldo's header. The refree didn't think they took the corner right, so it was not fair. But who cares what's fair !! All we want is to see our team win !!

But as we saw the ball go into the net a second time within seconds of the first, we were relieved to no end and felt as if the greatest justice of all had just been done. Exasperation one second, relief the next !! Just two of the huge gamut of emotions which the game's got up it's sleeve.

The second half had the prospects of some more goals. Hopefully at the right ( right - wrong) end of the pitch. As Chelsea would need to attack it would open up opportunities for United. By this time, I was totally engrossed in the match. I didn't know why I had not been doing this all these months. Well, maybe because of the semster work but now I was ready to put all of that behind me, and watch the second half !!

2 more goals came United's way in the second half. Rooney scored one and Berbatov the other. At the end of it all, United were the victors 3 to nothing. In the second half, they played much better.

It was perhaps not the greatest of displays by them, but it made me remember all the great things about the the team and the players. Ronaldo, who's got both 'right' feet. Rooney's immense power and grit. Giggs and Neville, the war horses. The now well settled Evra and Vidic, and the rock solid Van Der Saar at the back. Not a lot of stars, but the right mix of some good and a couple of special players. As my dearest friend always says, and I agree, "That's the perfect recipe to win".

The season till now has been a little wobbly for United but now they are back on track. They trail the leaders, Liverpool ( yeah, I know !! ) by 5 points with 2 games in hand. I really think the match yesterday was the turning point for them this season. They beat another serious title contender, they are in good form now, pretty much the entire squad is fit and when you can afford to put players like Carrick and Tevez on bench, you know you've got a good team.

So, here it goes Liverpool. I've said it. The 'Red Devils' are back in business and they have tasted blood too, 'Blue Blood', Chelsea's blood ;) Watch them come and take the title for a second year running !!

P. S. Red Devils Still Rule All ... All !!

And This Too Shall Pass

Often times have I heard this and even oftener have used it in some context or the other. Is there another phrase which is so apt at all times? How much does it express! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!!

Recently while watching a Julia Roberts movie, I heard this phrase for the umpteenth time. Well, this time I just felt the urge to look for it's genesis. I had known the meaning all along, but this time I wanted to know about the first time it was used and in what context. Though it seems to hold true in almost any.

Well there are a few stories that try to explicate the origin and most of them relate to King Solomon. Some say that the King once decided to humble his minister, Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, by asking him to get him a 'magical' ring which he knew never existed. When asked about the magical power, the King told Benaiah that it was a ring, seeing which a happy man becomes sad and a sad man becomes happy. The minister was in a fix now. Days passed and months. He wandered to find the ring without much success. Then one night, as he was taking a walk he passed an old shabby jeweler and decided to inquire if he had heard of such a ring, though he thought it was futile. But his luck was to change. The old guy took out a plain gold ring and engraved on it the letters, 'This Too Shall Pass' in Hebrew, and gave it to him.

The next day, to every one's surprise, Benaiah presented the ring to Solomon. And with it came to the King, the realization of the impermanence of all his might and wisdom.

So, that is one story. There are some others but the idea remains unchanged. What has come shall pass as well. The pinnacle of all accomplishments, the nadir of all defeats. The highest of all highs and the lowest of all lows, all would pass us.

When we are low, it makes sense to be an optimist and look forward to better times and work hard to get there. But what about the times of jubilation, times of success and achievement? Are we not supposed to be happy and take pride in our accomplishments? Of course we are. Everything we work on, everything we create is a piece of us and if we can't take pride in it, it's all of no use. But at the same time, there has to be a sense of "non-attachment" that we must have towards everything. Be it the work we do, be it our family, be it our friends, be it times of utmost happiness and be it the darkest dungeons of despair. All is transitory. All shall pass.

This sense of "non-attachment" if achieved could be the greatest of things. It does not stop us from going out and pursuing our ambitions and dreams, but saves us a lot of suffering. By realizing the fugacity of these things, we would not end up becoming a slave for them. Its probably much easier to sever ourselves from all earthly things and lead a monastic life. What is much more difficult is to be a part of this world and attain a sense of disengagement with all things transitory.

Buddha also recognized the same and hence his 'Five Remembrances' among other teachings include the following two:

• All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.

• My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

Osho also echoes somewhat similar sentiments through the following lines:

"The fool goes on missing everything. The wise man enjoys everything. He enjoys the day and the night. He enjoys life and he enjoys death. He is a non clinger; in non clinging is bliss."

We need to be careful though in not looking at these teachings and developing a bleak outlook towards life. If anything, these teachings should help us realize their importance even more. People we love, work that makes us happy, things that we find pleasure in, they are all of paramount importance. They are all important facets of our lives. We should never shy down from enjoying these things for the fear of losing them one day, but being "non-attached" at a level would not really hurt.

So, here's hoping we can achieve this sense of "non-attachment". Hoping we succumb to neither glory nor despair !! Because everything shall one day pass !!