A Dream Shattered!!!!!

Every kid dreams big. I did too......

I wanted to be an Astronaut when I read about Rakesh Sharma and Yuri Gagarin at school. The thought of walking in space, watching the Earth Sun and Moon from the space captured my imagination as a child.

Then I wanted to be a scientist to help people when I learned about Sir C.V Raman and his experiments. And the first time I ever saw the Batman cartoon, I knew I wanted to be like him.

As I grew up, I figured out, what I thought were careers in my early years in school were just childhood fantasies (may be not the batman one :D). I had a very clear mind. I knew what I would be happy doing. I decided to become an Air Force Pilot.

The decision to become a Pilot was not because I was patriotic..Everyone is patriotic but no one does anything about it. Anyways, why I really wanted to become a pilot is because I loved the thought of being able to FLY.

I could have applied to fly commerical planes. But that path is "costly" and I am from a middle class family. Moreover, Commercial Airlines do not let you fly upside down :)

The thought of becoming an Air Force pilot consumed me.
I sat for the written test for NDA. Cakewalk. I knew I would get through that.

And then, I got the call from the AFSB (Airforce Selection Board), Mysore. The dates of the SSB interview clashed with my Engineering Counselling dates. I was still clear on what I wanted.
I went to Mysore.

I passed the PABT(Pilot Aptitude Battery Test).
A test that you can take only once in your life time. Either you have it in you or you don't. That simple!! Things were looking good. I was confident.

Then came the group discussion. As usual, as it happens in most of the Group Discussions, an argument between 2 idiots transformed the entire conversation into a verbal duel.

The outcome - I failed the SSB interview. I felt cheated.
They said something about group washout because none of us behaved the way we should have.
I was too shocked to pay any attention. I was reimbursed the money I spent on getting there and asked to go back.
A dream shattered!!!

The obedient son I was, I completed my Engineering thinking all the while that I can apply for CDS (Combined Defence Services).

I didn't factor in the brainwashing I would receive from all the people I was close to, about this career choice.
The greatest regret of my life will be that I listened to my family and let go of that dream.

Although I passed the written test for CDS, I never appeared for the SSB interview.
It still brings a wave of sadness when I think about it.

I dreamt of a career in a cockpit. Fate landed me in a cubicle :)

What Will Smith said in The Pursuit of Happyness is true

"You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period"