Somewhere back in 1st century AD, the great surgeon Sushruta carefully grafted skin on to a soldier’s nose which had been badly severed in battle. The great man’s fingers moved deftly, suturing the bits of broken skin.

 

But it is not the surgeon’s prowess we are talking about here. It’s his sock. This sock came into being with much effort. The people who made it were simple, ordinary people who knew as much about surgery as an ant would know about texting. But those people-ah yes, you must know about them!

 

(No, DON’T check the URL , you’re on the correct website)

 

The man who sheared the wool off the sheep knew how to play the flute. He could make melodies, and enchant people as his notes lost themselves into the surroundings.

 

For the girl who washed and dried the wool, dance was a way of life, not simply jiggling to beats. When she’d dance at festivals, she’d forget everything- her poverty, problems and of course, that horrid wool she hated washing.

The woman who carded the wool sang her son to sleep in her soft, mystic voice every night.And nobody knew that the old woman who had spun the wool read and wrote so much. But God forbid, if you did get involved in a debate with her, she could make many great scholars wince.

Whilst the wool got dyed with a color of resembling the night skies, the girl with her hands stained blue silently rehearsed the part she was going to play at the theatre tonight. For she dyed clothes by day, and at night, lived the life of the vivid characters she played.

The bored looking young man who sold woolen garments in the market was itching to go back home and play a game of gulli danda with his friends. He found himself to be a different person altogether while on the field- not lethargic or subdued person, but one who could conquer anything ( Yes, adrenaline does that to people).

 

The commonplace people who made the sock are important for a reason- they made their otherwise monotonous lives worth living by embracing culture, literature, sports and arts. For this is what keeps mankind (and sock-makers, if you want it that way) alive.  

 

The 1st Inter AIIMS Inter Medics - the fest at AIIMS BBSR is all about that. It is about reliving the moment, about becoming something different than our monotonous selves. It is about discovering that part of you that you never knew existed. It is about standing in the fierce wind with your hands outflung to face whatever that comes by. It is about feeling your heart beat in sync with a million hearts, about feeling the collective conscious. The euphoria of winning, the teachings derived from a loss. About getting to know people and establishing friendships for a lifetime. About letting your hair down and showing everyone your genius. Your true self.

 

And, since we are medical students, it is also about Sushruta and the other great pioneers. And of course, his sock.

 

Quoting from Robin Williams’ ‘Dead Poets Society’-

“Medicine, law, business, engineering- these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life.

But poetry, beauty, romance, love…these are what we stay alive for.”