A Blind Side

I am back - after a real long break. I have been busy, confused, switching locations and had very little time to zero-task.
What prompted me to write back - an old school friend who I guess is the only visitor to my blog asked me why I stopped writing and peer - my wife just got active with her blog. Though I am no match to her grip over this un-native language (I am a bit of a hindi nationalist), I did think that writing on the weekend is a better idea than watching IPL games which in my opinion are crickets version of entertainment (veiled way of saying these matches are all fixed in my opinion) or some other stuff thats always running on the 24X7 black box.
Coming back to the title of this blog - a blind side. Last years much celebrated movie about the life of Michael Oher that won Sandra Bullock an Oscar. All of us have a blind side - both good and bad. This movie is the about the good one.
A poor black kid about to be 18, homeless and worthless to all is walking down the street in a cold winter evening without any warm clothing. When asked, he says he is on his way to the gym. But then the lady that runs the Touhy household and is married to recordholder for highest all time asists in southeast conference is too smart to buy it. He gets picked up by the Tuohy's- common connection being this poor kid attending the same school where their kids go.
They get him into their home, have their doubts on whether he is going to rob them and they would never see a trace of him the next day. But with every day, sympathy for the kid transforms into a genuine bond of love, trust and faith. Everybody calls him Big Mike for his size and when he is asked what he wants - he asks his new family not to call him Big Mike but Michael.
The kid starts doing well in school, does well in football (american) and finally makes it to the University on a scholarship with almost all univs lining up on the door to get him in for his offensive tackle skills on the field.
Not every story can be without the bad side of us - there is the usual investigation into whether the he was used for his size and atheletic capabilities and put into a specific college with a purpose (read power, alum pride of the Tuohy's as they come from the same univ that he has chosen despite all others lining up to him). This does distract him but then he has now seen the world and figures out for the good of himself the selfless love of Tuohy's. He joins the Missisippii Univ, makes it to the deal list and of course is a celebrated member of the football team. He finally makes it to the NFL. He is still playing - 19 games down.
This by the way is a real story made into a movie and a beautiful one I must say. The movie has its moments when it makes you laugh, it makes you emotional (girls may cry on those) and it makes you feel helpless on the misery of poor black neighbourhoods. Best of all, the movie makes you aware of your blind side - the good one which can transform someone's life for the good and make you HAPPY.
It was not a joke when someone said, the biggest joys of life lie in GIVING.
This is to 100s of more Michael Ohers and Leigh Anne Tuohy

Cheers
Varun