Rewind

 A childhood confined to books and school never took off in the intended direction. As far as I can remember, nothing was ever as big as Bret - The Hitman Hart. Not many of my school friends knew much about The Hitman, and I pleasantly volunteered to educate them wisely, always. 'The Hitman' attitude was what I dreamily wished to own someday. He didn't have the physique to challenge the other heavyweights, but what he did have was a resolve to not cower down. How could someone not want to be The Hitman? Almost Gandhi-isque in a world of professional fighting.

So I took a huge scoop of this awesomeness, drizzled in some Choco chips, and called him my Hero, my inspiration. He didn't own a cape or a mask. So I borrowed the air, the heart, the walk - everything  in the name of inspiration. It infinitely improved my ability to take in the pain during a fight (which, now that I come to think of-- was almost never; but I always felt powerful) and a new dream to grow long hair - which the genetics and societal pressures would hardly accommodate. Thank God, The Hitman shortly decided to cut his hair short, and the inspirer and inspiree lived happily ever after for the duration of my school days.

Time flew by, college stood at the door. True lack of faith showed its colour and I had to leave my hero home. A new life in the hostel needed new friends. Friends had to be made from a large group of similar aged boys, all of whom were strangers to each other. We searched for similarity to form a bond. The most popular camp was - region of origin. Rationale - if I am as far from here as you are, and we would have to take the same train home in an apocalypse, then we must stay together. Then some people formed friends out of common hobbies, passions, dreams, heroes. So I perked my ears and waited patiently for someone to hopefully mention something about The Hitman, or maybe even the WWF, and that would be my cue in that hypothetical moment, as I would jump from the unknown and blow everybody's minds with the unimaginable amount of knowledge I had about the best hero ever. 

But boy was I off the mark! Fast forward to today, and I am still waiting.