The man who was drawing social security at the age of sixteen, ended up premiering his country at the age of 47. I guess miracles still happen. The story of John Major is a story of fate charting a road, its a story of God playing dice, but more than anything else its a story of a man learning to succumb to the offerings of life and coming out the victor. In his teen years John had been a player of cricket, and players and aficionados of Cricket know that in the game of life winner is not always the most deserving candidate, and the ablest performer doesn't always lift the trophy. Cricket has the uncanny, but life like knack of bringing second fiddle players to the limelight and drowning true Titans in deepest abysses of ocean oblivion. Anyone who knows Cricket realizes that Cricket is by chance, therefore the universal truth that life is by chance too, is relatively more intelligible for him. Cricketers find the notion of fate, rather easier to grasp. However, John Major's acquaintance with fate dates much further back to the time when John could hardly pronounce the first syllable of the word Cricket. Ex British Premier (1990-97), leading Tory politician and somewhat a hoi polloi icon, John

John's birth was an uneven pregnancy, through which her mother who was thirty-seven at the time, almost died. The importance of this one incident could not have been more conclusive. Later developments clearly proved that John Major could never have been John Major had it not been for her mother. As The Majors progressed through their trouble stricken lives, Gwen Major evolved into a family savior who fought for the future of her sons and daughter with unprecedented valor. The Majors would have long become a dispersed flock of dissolute sheep had Gwen died that night.

And when there is poverty, dignity becomes a difficult commodity to maintain. Heads fall, backs bend, smiles vanish and an indefinable, mildly sarcastic but mostly abashed grin supercedes it, almost as if a man is laughing at his own pathetic self. The self-inflicted social boycott evolves automatically like a shield against disparage. Major's social cutout could have been just such a phenomena, the child must've folded in himself to avoid confrontation with bitter humiliating truths.

Margaret Thatcher was in for a show of "Major Balls". No wonder John hated the term when he was in primary school, where he was listed by that name. How it came into being is a long sad story; apparently, the Majors were originally Balls, but later they took on the family name Major. During the transaction period, John was enlisted in school as Major Balls, and boy did he hate it. His schoolmates were quick to make a mock of poor John, obviously they didn't have to do much. They just called him by his official name, "Major Balls" and that was ridiculous enough. John rests some of the blame for his wretched childhood on that godforsaken name. What he doesn't realize is the apparent aptness of it.

But in a sense it was just the beginning, for there, Margaret Thatcher had seen in Major, the makings of a great politician and she had definitely decided to play her part in it.

And when major was still in the crib, war (WWII) climaxed in intensity, cities and towns were no longer save. One night a bomb exploded just outside the window besides which little John was sleeping, the window shattered and pieces of glass fell in Major's cot. However, little John came out unscratched, miraculously unharmed.

On that particular day, Major was made to answer directly to the Iron lady as a parliamentary whip. By then she had already acquired the reputation of being a headstrong person who didn't always appreciate those who stood up to her. But that day Major was to demonstrate some major balls. Reportedly, John proposed some requisitions that were prepared by the office he was representing. Thatcher thought they were very dumb and catapulted a long, harassing, harsh toned critique. This set Major off. Firstly, he thought that the ideas were pretty reasonable, secondly he thought that even if they were not, Thatcher was not supposed to lambaste him, because they were not his, he was only reporting. Major, in a very calm but expressive tone, told Premier Thatcher that she was wrong, and that she should not have excoriated him, and that the recommendations were fairly objective. This triggered an enthusiastic debate which would have taken to brawl-ish proportions had it not been terminated by a funny remark from a wise colleague. But the matter was not settled.

Some topics in this essay:
John Major, Prime Minister, Tom Major, Major Balls, Gwen Major, Gwen Tom, Northern Ireland, Premier Thatcher, Margaret Thatcher, I'm Major, john major, prime minister, major balls, tom major, chief secretary, foreign secretary, chief secretary treasury, margaret thatcher, major found, secretary treasury, major introduced, cabinet chief secretary,