The first autobiography I had read was "The Black Beauty", a classic tale of a race horse. I still remember most of it. I am not an ardent fan of autobiographies, but I have read a few including those of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Adolf Hitler and Michael Schumacher.
Lewis Hamilton made a dream debut in Formula 1. Bestowed with a McLaren which was running at its best (although its upto individuals to speculate how a pathetic car in 2006 became a race winner in 2007), he was in the running to become the champion until some rookie errors made him look mortal. His rise during the season came as a surprise to many. Even a hardened fan would have been stunned by what followed next, an autobiography named Lewis Hamilton.
Michael Hussey is a fascinating prospect in the Cricket world. His bradmanesque average has created an awe. Being a part of a team that hasn't lost or drawn a test since his debut does ease the pressure of having to perform at an international level. But that is not to take away his abundant skills on display. However, after a couple of years at the helm, he released his autobiography, titled "Mr Cricket - ....".
The purists would say something is wrong somewhere with the autobiographies nowadays. They have become the latest marketing strategy. Name and fame has been utilised to make money, especially in sport, for a while now. But what has that done to the actual people who count. The normal person who shells out the bucks to get a copy of these "stuff". A person's life is put in words and published to make a difference far from the bank accounts of those concerned; to make a difference in the life of those who read them... The rise of a person from humble backgrounds is inspirational, the fall harrowing, the lessons learnt proverbial, the comeback awe inspiring, the anecdotes evergreen. Its priceless.
Needless to say, its all missing from the newer ones. A rise alone isn't worth trumpeting about. What should be in one's diary shouldn't be published to the world at large. It could have been a struggle to come thus far, but its still is worth less than a one sided coin. For all you know, there might be a guy getting a double century on debut and publishing an autobiography titled "The Debut", or an on field incident resulting in an autobiography "The Monkey beats the Donkey". No racism meant there, for those who want to fan the flames. Going by the trend, a guy might publish his autobiography "Twelfth Knight", how he came from behind to pass the greatest ordeal of human kind - the Std 12 exams!
Agreed that the dictionaries do not tag a time line to an autobiography, but that shouldn't be disadvantaged in this manner. Learn to live life, make a difference to this world and then if you think (and think twice) if its worthwhile for the readers, publish your account of it. "Shut Up!" is as simple as it gets for the rest.
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
No comments:
Post a Comment