After a gap of twenty years, one of the school friends called me. We spoke for a half-hour like we are continuing the conversation from yesterday. It took a while for me to recognize him as I studied in eight schools. But I knew what he is talking about, familiar people, environment, and life those days.
A month ago, I was invited to a X’Mas party by a CEO friend who was an army veteran. He also invited his friends who are still working in the army. We synced well. And the conversations were similar – ‘how those days in Dehradun were’ – the big secrets about their friends which they would never reveal. It is the soldier’s share of misery. The days they survived in the forces enhances lifelong bonds.
“One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.”
How profoundly Sigmund Freud said this.
The war veterans, the school friends, teams who survived major changes – all talk about that period as a way of celebrating survival and thriving through adversity. Looking back, we wonder how we managed the chaos. That makes us instantly grateful for where we are.
