In High Places

I am ushering in Year Twenty Ten at Yercaud! I am at the Sterling Resorts Property. While Yercaud is not the top Hill Station destination i n the south, it does have its attractions. The Sterling Resorts property is quite cool. Situated next to the Ladies Seat view point, the balconies onevery unit in the resort provide a great view of the slopes of the hill. In fact, the resort is visible from the winding road climbing up to Yercaud.

I am sitting in the balcony of my room and looking down at a marvellous panorama spread out in the darkness below. I feel as if I am in outer space gazing down at the stars twinkling below like a handful of scintillating precious stones casually thrown on a dark velvet cloth. To the south, the city of Salem is outlined in lights. On my left, the headlights of cars climbing up the hill, shine bright and then dim as the vehicles take the twisting hairpin bends on the last leg of their climb.

This morning I saw clouds rising up from the valley li

ke shaving foam in a bowl and slowly moving up the hill to become wispy clouds above the sum

mits of the distant range of mountains.

Later, a couple of monkeys managed to squeeze in thr

ough our wind

o

ws and

took away a whole packet of Marie biscuits and Cheese! They, then, proceeded to feast on these goodies right in front of our eyes. My wife and daughter bemoaned the loss while my son

was more philosophical and asked them to console themselves by considering it an offering (albeit involuntary) to Hanumanji, the Monkey God.

I use these New Year Breaks to examine, Janus like, the past as well as the present. I present a personal Annual Report to myself! Why not? The purpose of an Annual Report is to take stock and move forward. New Years Day gives me this opportunity. So I prepare a report similar to that presented by Chairmen of Corporations to their Boards. I account for the past 365 days allotted to me and ask myself, what I had done to deserve being allowed to live for the next 365. Did I improve myself? My Family? My Organization? The community where I live?

Thereafter I prepare plans to bridge the gap between Goals and actual performance. This is the Execution Gap that Stephen Covey speaks about. Finally, a prayer to the Almighty for his support in converting these dreams to reality.

We spend the evenings strolling on the narrow roads around the resort. This evening, we went to the Raja Rajeswari Temple and thereafter to the Servaroyan Temple. The Temple, which is a cave shrine, on a windy plateau ,is dedicated to Servaroyan a local deity, who is considerd an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the saviour.