Learning something new everyday

As a Sales Officer of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation in Coimbatore in early 1990's, I was responsible for a retail outlet network of about 36 Petrol Stations. One of them was on the Coimbatore-Palghat highway in Madukkarai, adjacent to Associated Cement Company's factory. The dealers, also fleet owners having one hundred plus dumpers, were two brothers - the god fearing, quiet, intellectual Thulasiram Prasad, who was in his mid-50's and his much younger brother Bapuji, whose main hobby was networking, partying, playing golf and in short living it up. They were a study in contrast. As a youngster, I was obviously more comfortable with Bapuji.

One day on a routine visit to the retail outlet I was spending some quality time with the elder brother, Thulasiram Prasad. Those days I had an annoying habit of using not so common words while speaking in English. During the course of the conversation, I used words like acumen, cul-de-sac, barbarian and so on. Thulasiram Prasad, ever the gentleman, stopped me whenever a difficult word was spoken and asked me for the meaning of the word. When I explained the meaning, he immediately noted it down in the diary in front of him with the meaning. Remember that he was a successful businessman in his mid 50's , extremely rich with children studying in USA and I was a young eager beaver, brash, cocky and less than half his age. But he never had any reservations in asking for clarifications.

Though intrigued, I had too much respect (and maybe a little too proud) for Thulasiram Prasad to ask him why he was noting down all these. Later, I met Bapuji and asked him about this behaviour of his brother. Bapuji said, " Rajan, my brother is a compulsive letter writer. Whenever he hears or reads a word he doesn't know the meaning of, he will note it down and in the evening he will make it a point to incorporate in a letter he writes. You may not be aware of this, but he has one of the largest vocabulary of anyone I have seen in my life. And he has built it up like this over a period of 30 years brick by brick learning two new words per day"

I learned many lessons that day. I have never hesitated to ask anyone if I don't know something since. And I have followed his footsteps of learning something new everyday and applying it as early as possible. I have been a better person for it.

Thulasiram Prasadji, I never got a chance to thank you as life took us to tread different paths. Let me take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have benefitted a lot in my life and the least I can do for you is to pass on that learning to the readers of this forum.