MY INSPIRATION!!!!

Have you felt the cool gentle breeze caress your cheeks on a warm sunny evening? Have you taken in the wonderful smell that wafts through the air when the first drizzle hits the earth? Has your heart skipped a beat when you are feeling down in the dumps and you suddenly hear your favorite song being played? Or the wonderful sight of the rising sun spreading its rays on the horizon set against the background of the deep blue sea…..well, you cant describe these feelings can you ?? Except that it stirs something wonderful in you and brings an involuntary smile to your face

Well …this is precisely the feeling Narasimhalu evokes in you the first time you meet him. That charming smile and his energetic greeting knock you flat even before you try and collect yourself from the shock of seeing his physical disability. The myriad expressions that flit across his face as he tries to convey his thoughts to you are just amazing.

I was blessed [yes … I feel any one who meets him is truly blessed..he is God’s own child ! ] with the good fortune of meeting this wonderful gentleman in the year 2002 when my husband and I had the opportunity to organize a week long exhibition of his paintings at Hotel Ambassador Pallava at Chennai, through our Rotary Club.

I will never forget the efforts of the people who helped us in making this event a great success. Ace director Mani Ratnam and Actor Revathy inaugurated the event and spent a long time viewing the paintings and bought some too! Half the paintings were sold within an hour of the inauguration and ND TV did an exclusive on Narasimhalu… Yes… we went all out to publicize this event like fame-hungry dogs and never felt ashamed about it!

Because we felt Narasimhalu deserved every bit of attention he was getting and much more too!!

Orphaned as a child and afflicted with Cerebral Palsy, Narasimhalu can only use his feet and paints with his feet and toes!!!! The canvas is his world. And that’s not all… he does amazing embroidery too!!

Just watching him at work sends you into stunned silence and you feel overcome with emotions! Despite suffering from a debilitating physical handicap his zest for life astounds you!

He loves Nature which predominantly forms the subject of his paintings and uses acrylic, watercolors and….hold your breath…the computer too! Oh yes he is adept at using the computer [Adobe Photoshop and Flash] and meddles around with electronic gadgets. He resides at the home run by the Andhra a Mahila Sabha at Adyar and is a great source of joy and inspiration to all around. You can see him zooming around on a skateboard with amazing control with a smile that never disappears!!

We take so many things for granted in life and go around cribbing and complaining…. Shame on us for doing that when there are people like Narasimhalu taking on life with grit and determination!!!

I often feel that I should visit him more frequently and spend time with him but always find myself totally depressed and angry with God after every such visit… why did he have to go through so much???? That innocent smile lingers long in your mind….very long !!