What an Honour!

Wimbledon 2006. Andre Agassi lost to Rafael Nadal in the third round. Agassi's last Wimbledon. He shakes referee's hands and starts packing his tennis kit. An official from Wimbledon approaches the players and asks for permission. The players consent. There will be a short interview amidst the crowd before Agassi leaves the court for good. An interview is never scheduled unless its a Final. But this is an exception. For Agassi.

Agassi has lost the match, but there is a standing ovation for him. It doesnt really feel as if he has lost. The interviewer cannot even start as the applause never ends. Agassi then does his customary four bows and kisses to the four sides of the Center Court. The commentator says - that is the only way he can silence the crowd; that is what they came here for!

What an Honour!

There are ordinary people like everyone else who rise to such heights in Life because of their extraordinary perseverance that it truly makes them immortal. To have garnered so much respect and honour, it is a pride to live and have the feeling of 'I have lived my Life's worth!'

Sachin Tendulkar, Don Bradman, Maradona, Pele, Boris Becker, Steffi Graf - the list is endless. It is almost like a sin to speak less of them or ridicule them. They have attained the echelons of Life where they are treated almost God-like, and their names will remain etched in the memories of those who have seen them play and will be a common folklore for the future generations who would have missed the Legends-in-Action!

To have thousands of people chanting your name, to have multitude of people loving you, to stand in the arena in the middle of tens of thousands of people, to entertain them with your talent, to earn the respect of millions of people all over the world and be called 'Immortal', it is but a fairy tale life that only a few can have.

And it is for those who have had such fairy tale lives, that, with a deep sense of pride and honour for what you are and what you have accomplished, I salute and bow down to thee.....