Vivid description of a time gone by for the insider and outsider
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Are versatility and excellence in a wide spectrum of disparate fields, reinforced by uncommon attributes and a multiplicity of skills, a hallmark of genius? Surely, readers of “Memoirs of a Thomian” will be able to render a balanced judgment.
This reviewer, a contemporary of Sarath’s at S. Thomas’ College, Mount. Lavinia, recalls the schoolboy Sarath as a superlatively gifted sportsman; a destructive batsman in the Caribbean mould, an excellent hockey player and a rugby fly-half with a jinking run and a beguiling swerve; not to be forgotten was also his successful participation in a number of other sports which were, perhaps, slightly less high profile than the three described. In a school in which skilled sportsmen were held in greater regard than toiling academics, as it is in most boys’ schools, Sarath was very much an icon of his time.
Leaving behind the sports arena, Sarath has channelled the energy and single-mindedness which contributed to his on-field achievements, into his chosen area of medical study and with sustained application over a period of time, spanning different institutions and countries, become a medical specialist of repute. Sarath the gladiator has, with the fullness of time, metamorphosed into Dr. Sarath Seneviratne, the healer.
It is another aspect of the man’s virtuosity that he has developed, on the periphery of his other endeavours, as a painter as well. That apart, generally undisclosed to the public eye, is his involvement in and personal contribution to, to rehabilitation projects amongst marginalised communities in Sri Lanka. Then, as we begin to think that the tale has reached a logical conclusion, he surprises and delights us, as Sarath Seneviratne, the author!!
What finally makes a man? Obviously, natural attributes play a major role, reinforced by intelligent parental guidance, strong family values and education in the right institution. Perhaps STC, and the wonderful tradition of all-round education that this great school represents, can justifiably claim some credit for Sarath Seneviratne, the mature man. STC was the crucible in which the man was forged and the title of the book is, clearly, the writer’s tacit acknowledgement of that fact.
The “Memoirs” is the recounting of Sarath’s personal odyssey, from early boyhood to a man of much achievement. It is a story written by a Thomian, for all Thomians, then and now. It is a story of a young boy, thrust in to an unfamiliar and threateningly insular environment at a very early age, and his development in to the successful adult that he is now. It is also a story that could have been written only by a Thomian boarder as, grudgingly as this day scholar must admit, it is only as a boarder that a Thomian could fully savour every aspect of life that STC had to offer, both the good and the bad; and, irrespective of the period and degree of achievement, Sarath’s story is also the story of many other Thomians, unwritten yet and perhaps never to be chronicled.
It is a book, replete with incident and anecdote, a recital of life experiences by a story-teller with seemingly total recall. Sarath the diarist has made it deeply personal but it is also a story that all Thomians, past and present, can identify and empathize with and therein lies its attraction. The thread of the tapestry he has woven will link Thomians of all ages.
| Book facts: Memories of a Thomian by Dr. Sarath Seneviratne. Reviewed by Anura Gunasekera |
The story begins with his unfriendly introduction to Thomian life in the Winchester dormitory, moving across life at STC through a series of experiences, pleasant and unpleasant and graduating from junior to senior boarding houses and classes. It details encounters and achievements on the sports field and outside and the sudden transition from boarder to day -scholar; it describes his life in medical school and provides interesting insights on national representation in Cricket and Hockey. It deals with medical work in Sri Lanka, UK and the Cayman Islands, speaks of marriage and fatherhood and with total honesty, chronicles both successes and failures. It is a story which moves back and forth in time and space, not always in chronological order as that is the way with reflection and introspection, and which is how most memoirs are constructed.
This book, though it will have special relevance to all Thomians, irrespective of the period, will also be of great interest to all sports enthusiasts, particularly of Cricket, as Sarath recounts interesting tales of cricketing life of his era, at national and club level, giving the reader an insider’s view of people and incidents. For those with a taste for national cricketing history, it will be a mine of information. It is also very much of a history of STC of that period, delivered through the exploits of a multi-skilled sportsman.
School contemporaries of Sarath reading this book will be most amused by the detailed retelling of interesting happenings of the period at STC and, where the protagonists are not mentioned by name, readers will surely identify those whom he is talking about. It is a book, written by an insider, for the insider but, because of the wide ranging anecdotes and the universal appeal of the content, it is also a writing which will find a common chord with the outsider and the general reader.
The greatness, the nobility of educational institutions, owes as much to the customs, practices and traditions that govern life in those institutions, as to the facilities that they offer; the older the school, the greater both the weight and wealth of tradition though, in all honesty, one needs to reflect on the real value of some of those traditions. It is in that context that one has to review the custom of ragging, present at STC, albeit in a far more milder and much less odious form than is the practice in the many universities of this country. Sarath speaks very frankly of his personal experiences of this unsavoury aspect of school life, as well as at medical school, and is unequivocal in his rejection of this custom as being totally unacceptable.
Sarath’s “Memoirs” is, as far as I am aware, the most comprehensive account of school life written by an old Thomian. It is in many ways a first of its kind, especially in terms of scope and wealth of anecdote and detail. It opens a revealing window in to the formative influences of Thomian men, which are generally not reflected on in later life, unless under special circumstances which provoke such memories – such as infrequent Old Thomian assemblies.
In later life most of us tend to regard our adult achievements as being personally crafted, forgetting, or disregarding, the early influences which have made such achievements possible. A touching aspect of the Memoir is Sarath’s sincere acknowledgement of the varied beneficial impacts on his life, be it parent, spouse, mentor in academics or sports, or colleagues and peers, both in school and in adult life. Amazingly, he does not seem to have forgotten any individual who has made a contribution to his development. Many are the teachers of STC in our time, then veritable giants in a great school, to whom Sarath has paid generous tribute. Those who have been mentioned and are still alive, would surely be gratified at Sarath’s unstinted praise and, also, the obvious fact that the seeds that they have sown have been in fertile soil.
Sarath has portrayed events and people with total candour, delivering both praise and criticism in equal measure. If any reader, or any protagonist in any of the incidents described were to take exception to any part of this narrative, it must be done bearing in mind that Sarath has not spared himself either. The successes have been given equal place with failures and disappointments and in the context of the latter, his inability to obtain admission to STC for son Sacha has, clearly, been a source of great anguish to him. Given Sarath’s impeccable Thomian pedigree, stretching back over a century from the present and in the context of a massive body of personal achievement, in school and thereafter, that singular omission ranks as an inexplicable disequilibrium of justice.
The Memoir also features citations from friends and colleagues in his profession which, obviously spontaneously delivered, demonstrate the esteem that Sarath is held in. Their place in the memoir is appropriate as they underscore the milestones of a life lived in the relentless pursuit of excellence.
Much of the book is a vivid description of a time gone by, of shared experiences in a great school, and of episodes in later life featuring the famous and, where relevant, the infamous. It is amusing, evocative, nostalgic and refreshingly honest. It has not been written to be a work of literature but as the narration of a worthy life, lived with enthusiasm, enjoyment and commitment. It is a tale put together by a man in the autumn of his life, looking back at himself and the path that he has trod, and deciding that he has a story to tell, written as much for himself as for the general reader. Finally, as any book needs to be, it is a great read.