Impromptu....

Impromptu is an attempt to render a song or a speech without any preparation or referring to any text or written script.

Thesaurus explains the word impromptu as something Spoken, performed, or composed with little or no preparation or forethought: ad-lib, extemporaneous, extemporary, extempore, improvised, offhand, snap, spur-of-the-moment, unrehearsed. Informal, off-the-cuff.

Most of us would get in to a situation when you are asked to say a few words in front of a gathering, a formal or informal group.

I observe that in earlier days, i.e. prior to the invasion of internet and computers, impromptu speeches were quite common and people were not uncomfortable doing it. But now with social networking sites making people glued to their seats in front of lap tops/computers, the changes in life style have almost made them recluse and not ready for such adventures like addressing a gathering. Even if pushed to make a speech, they make awkward attempt and fail to impress the crowd.

Impromptu is also a wonderful word as it can be used as an adjective, adverb or even noun! Impromptu means improvisation. Therefore, a person attempting it should have creativity. But to say that creativity can be only with a select few and not with all is simply wrong. Every one can make an impromptu, with a little bit of effort.

We have heard lot of folklores which are nothing but impromptus! Something which happens on its own without any special preparation, pre-meditation or prodding can be termed as impromptu. In a way, the revolution that happened in Egypt is also an impromptu!

My own attempts at impromptus have been fairly good but there were occasions when I could not make a free flowing speech as well. I have now learned to use a technique whereby if the topic is not really a comfortable one, dwell around it by frankly admitting my lack of knowledge, in a self-deprecating way, to make it interesting!

Well, the topic I chose to write was not prompted by anybody or pre-planned but popped up simply like the word itself, an "Impromptu"!

COMMONWEALTH GAMES

Once I had to drop a guest, at the Mumbai Aerodrome, who had to catch a flight to Tiruvanathapuram. We left home sufficiently early with two hours gap.
For the flight scheduled to leave at 1130hrs, we left home at 0930hrs with only 30 minutes drive to make on normal traffic conditions.

I was driving the car happily chit-chatting on various topics. I even recited my own 'haiku' that I drafted on Mumbai! Suddenly we realised the journey to Airport was unending due to the traffic jam. The road was dug up in the middle for some work and the vehicles were at loggerheads.

Our joyful conversation suddenly became not so joyful before it turned to silence and anxiety. We reached the Aerodrome with only twenty minutes for the takeof!

The ticketing Supervisor bluntly told that 'we are shut out for any more passengers and the flight is ready to takeof'. No amount of pleading was working until we heard that the flight already left Mumbai Airport.

Now the guest started enquiring about the next flight in Indian which was available only in the next day! I suggested that we will go to the other terminal to find out Jet or other Private airline before claiming refund from Indian. That is when we found out there was a Private Airline flight in the evening to Tiruvanathapuram.

Now I said we will go and get the refund from Indian. When we approached the counter, the supervisor came towards us running and announced those sweet words,"the flight returned due to some technical snag.. and she will leave again at 1:30 pm!"

That was just after marriage. We were catching a train in the night having left home just 30 minutes prior to the departure. Whilst on our way, my wife remembered to have left the wedding ring on the mantle over wash basin! Racing against the time, we reached the platform after recovering the ring from home. The train barely pulled out of platform when we hurriedly boarded the train!

It so happened again in Mumbai, sensing that our taxi cannot reach the CST station to catch our Chennai train, we decided to board at Dadar station, which is 10 km nearer en route. Due to the unprecedented traffic bottleneck, we had to jump on to the already moving train when we reached the platform!

Recently last year, we landed at the Mumbai Airport just 25 minutes before departure of the flight. Obviously, the counter was closed. A daring supervisor took a quick decision to grant us upgraded business class status to us, relenting to my request! There, I think, the lady luck helped too.

All these events have made us to think that there is no great need to waste time at railway stations or at Airports!

I started to write this when received an sms from my wife yesterday ..that she has done it again!
Yes; she boarded the flight in similar finish like Commonwealth games!

All is well that ends well! Let the good luck continue for ever.

Well readers, shall we rename the word 'brinkmanship' to Commonwealth Games!