Impacts in life are felt, seen and sometimes heard. Most of us remember the important things that happen in our lives – the birthdays, the weddings, the holidays and more. We all know the sequence of events, with clear details. What was happening, who was there, where did it occur etc are some of the details we don’t ever forget. But we never payed attention to the smaller details were part of it. The things that supported us and played a part of those memories.
My grandfather was a strict man, a disciplined man. He had been set in his ways from a young age and remained true to it over the years. Certainly, he warmed up as I spent time with him. He grew up during the era of India’s global revolution and was taught to behave like an Englishman. I tried to imitate him a couple of times, but to no avail. He had a fixation for formal accessories, and particularly liked pocket squares. He always wore one with a cravat, matching in color. My style was greatly influenced courtesy him. He found it highly bemusing that his grandchild, liked to dress like him. To amuse me, he gave me a shirt and tie from Peter England. A gift originally meant for him, but a size too small. A small child, dressed in an adult’s clothes, a sight too amusing. A bright blue shirt, with a thin navy-blue tie. A true male stereotype in dressing. I wore that shirt nearly everyday for 2 months straight. My mother had many sleepless nights courtesy it (I refused to wear it wrinkled).
It’s a memory that stuck with me all these years, and something that shaped me growing up. I continued to dress in formals, though obviously dressing in things more my size. It’s the first memory that I truly have of my childhood and of my grandfather.