India’s Patch Adams talks to Ramdas Shenoy from Stirfrymba.com .
How it all started from a Naval officer to a Clown who brings happiness?
I started doing magic shows since I was a teenager and continued being an entertainer all through my college and even Naval career. The idea of becoming a full-time professional Clown or magician was always a dream and like most of us, I never took it seriously.
It was only after that chance meeting, in the year 2000, with a Cancer struck child and his sudden and unfortunate passing soon, that I decided to hang up my pristine whites and adapt a Clown character. I now work almost full time to spread happiness and joy amongst not just patients and children but every place I visit.
How can someone be a clown and spread happiness like you?
If you look at it seriously there are more people spreading happiness and joy than there are Clowns in the world. But being a Clown makes it easy to be noticed. One actually doesn’t need to wear funny colourful clothes or a bright red nose. They help though.
We all, being humans, generally and only laugh at someone else’s misfortune. We never laugh when someone hits the bumper jackpot.
Once you learn to accept and laugh at yourself, your shortfalls and deficiencies, it is easy to be a Clown and offer your self as a target for others to laugh at.
As a young boy, when and how did you join Navy?
I was enamoured by the white uniform that my brother-in-law wore. That was the motivation and inspiration. My family always wholeheartedly and proudly supported me. I was awarded the President’s Gold Medal for being the Best All-round Cadet! I had a very educative, exciting and entirely satisfying tenure in the Navy. The memories and experience will last me a lifetime.
What are the qualities of becoming a Navy officer?
Being a Naval officer doesn’t demand much different than being a good citizen of the country. In addition basic intelligence, courage, a sense of responsibility, physical fitness, awareness of our civic duties towards the people you serve. The moral and personal integrity of the highest order is an essential quality and placing the needs of the Nation above individual needs is paramount.
What is your philosophy of life? What are the challenges of working towards such a cause?
I am Clown today and have no such thing as a philosophy. However, I believe seriously that what one does comes back multifold. Karma always catches up. Sow good, reap good. Spread happiness and joy and help make the world a better place to stay. Today people don’t have the time to “stop and smell the roses”
What is lacking in today’s society, where people only have screen touch time– but no personal touch time?
I don’t wish to sit in judgement but I always quote Bertrand Russell “The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy – I mean that if you are happy you will be good”.
Today’s Corporate rat-race, the greed to be one up and the need to make our children the best at everything is ruining our lives. We do not have time for even our own loved ones. We run around like a headless chicken to secure our tomorrow and spoil a perfect today.
Further Equality and empathy are what should be at the core and any sort of discrimination be ditched. Once we accept that all beings were created and are equal life is easy.
Don’t bear life. Live it! Enjoy it!
Make at least one person smile today!