Fizzle Out

Shekhawat (second from left) seems to have given up on the picnic

Enthusiasm for the ‘long overdue picnic’ on February 10 is fast fizzling out (ref post of January 31). According to Shekhawat, so far only six people have shown interest and paid up. “At this rate, there will be no picnic,” he declared this morning. “We need at least 30 people on board to set out.”
Two factors are being attributed for this general lack of interest. Members appear to be swayed by outstation excursions (also called ‘picnics’ in Club lingo) after tasting blood with trips to Kerala, Sikkim and Jaisalmer recently. The last trip was to Bangkok and Patayya. A day-trip in or around Mumbai would pale in comparison, if not seem infra-dig.
The second factor is that age is fast catching up with many picnic regulars. From Tara Chand to Khatoon Baig to Shanti Singh, most members are harping on the line, “We have lost the confidence in ourselves to venture out.” Clearly, we lack the zest and stamina that we used to have earlier. Today we look first for a place to rest in the afternoon and are also insisting upon limiting the travel time to barely an hour or so. This severely restricts our options to places already visited, thereby killing interest further.
All is not lost though. There is still time for February 10 and many fence sitters who are playing wait-‘n’-watch may suddenly join in. It all depends on how aggressively Shekhawat pushes his plans from here on. There is also a distant possibility of settling for a natural hotspot (eg. a beach, waterfall, game sanctuary, etc.) distinct from a commercial resort.
There can be no denying that the weather is just right for an outing.

Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
Picnic is an event to be outdoor and enjoy nature. It does not matter whether one has already visited a place or not. The second or even third visit will offer something new. Please go ahead, relax and enjoy.