Ah well, what do you not know – another year gone by!
Time doesnt fly anymore – it simply teleports: one moment you are here, the next you are there. Didn’t I just turn 40 a while back? Now I am about to turn 41!
IAC, nothing much happened on 31st night. Shubha and Anjali watched some kitchy Hindi movie on TV, and cried and cried. God knows why – this must be the 10th time they have seen the movie (Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam), but it gets them everytime.
I sat in front of my machine, shoved in “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and watched it. Great photography, but God help those who haven’t read the book *and* seen the first movie. 
For that matter, God help those who have read the book, too. Major “Hollywoodification” – lots of changes of characters, locations and events. Treebeard was a definite let-down – the solid, powerful and deep-thinking character from the book was a wimpy comic strip in the movie. Bah!
But Gollum, he rocks. Major Oscar material!
Having a small party for some friends on Saturday, since no one was really in party mood on 31st. Planning a potluck party – hope it works out OK.
And now for the promised profound thoughts:
Every new year, one is expected to review the previous year, and draw conclusions, so here goes…
My 2002 was probably the worst year of my professional life. I have had my ups and downs, but never this bad. I know the reasons, and much of it was beyond my control, but some incidents do stand out – these include banking on people who then stabbed you in back when you were down on your luck, relying on potential clients who kept you dangling for ages, and finally simply failing to come through, others who kept dangling lucrative stuff before you while they squeezed everything they could out of you, and even some who just dumped you for internal political reasons.
But in all this mess, I have also seen things that make all this pain worth it.
True friends reaching out and helping me after the incident in June (which upset me so badly that I simply couldn’t think anymore), throwing in time, effort and even money to help me recover, sometimes without even telling me.
Relatives reaching out and proving to me that I still have an extended family – something I value greatly.
My collegues at work who stood by me when they saw me in trouble and didn’t give up (like some others did).
My wife Shubha and daughter Geetanjali – they took it all without complaints, and adjusted to every situation.
The managers of LB/2002, who (despite my increasing levels of frustration) saw to it that the event went off without a hitch, allowing me to claim yet another victory in this long battle of mine.
My young friends who allow me to relive a dream through them, and provided me the much needed distraction when I was down, even if they didn’t know what was going on.
Clients who re-affirmed their faith in me and my company, and clients who came back to us after parting ways before.
My pets Judo The Dog and Honey The Cat (and now also Cookie The Kitten) who, by the simple act of existing, managed to help me hang onto my sanity.
Without the help and encouragement from all of them, I would have simply given up.
Today, the nightmare is effectively over, and I think I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I am one of the few lucky ones, I know, and for that I am grateful.
I know that there will be tough times ahead, but let them come.
I have my army with me.
And God bless them all.