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For an inveterate reader, every book read is like a secret love affair, one that is only between a book and its reader, that cannot be replicated.
Every reader is a Superman living in the mask of a Clark Kent. Their super power – a secret love affair since the day they opened a book. It went on from meeting up with a loyal friend to having heart to heart conversations with a lover willing to take you on a date when you feel like it.
It makes you steal moments from your busy day at work and tiring human interactions to listen to this lover passionately talk about war, revolution, strikes, jealousy, love… Only to come back energized, ready to take on the world.
Oh! The blush on my cheeks? One of the characters just said something very nice.
You yearn to go back home to shed the cloak of extroversion you have donned – for that is what it takes to make yourself heard.
You wish the world goodnight and settle with that book in bed, like cuddling with a forbidden lover who whispers into your ear everything about what happens next. He waits while you gasp, chuckle, shed a few tears; together, both of you paint a world so intimate – for only the union of that author and you could have brought that masterpiece to life.
When you read an author, you read the language of his soul (even after his death) – you get a peek into its depth, for words so powerful could not have been written half heartedly. Something probably only a few got to see during his time. This beautiful saga continues till your eyes feel heavy with the weight of slumber, until sleep takes you away as one of its own.
On your visit to the library or the bookstore, the authors wink and wave from their books on the stands. You approach them as you would an old friend, run your fingers slowly along their spines and whisper a gentle ‘hey there…’
For an introvert like me, books are a safe haven. They don’t expect me to open my soul, while they peel theirs down layer by layer. They don’t mind my awkwardness when I meet them the first time or the long, long time I take to break the ice.
So when my friends go on dates and fall in love with colleagues at work, I have breakfast with Scott Fitzgerald, lunch with Han Kang and dine with Khaled Hosseini.
You call this an awkward introvert’s sad life, I call it my secret love affair.
Published here earlier.
Image source: pexels
Doctor, ambivert. Her voice stutters; her pen doesn't . read more...
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If her home and family seem to be impacted by her career then we expect her to prioritize her ‘responsibilities at home as a woman’ and leave her job.
The entrenched patriarchal norms have always perpetuated certain roles and responsibilities as falling specifically in the domain of either men or women. Traditionally, women have been associated with the domestic sphere while men have been considered the bread winner of the household. This division of roles has become so ingrained in our lives that we seldom come to question it. However, while not being questioned does give the system a certain level of legitimacy, it in no way proves its veracity.
This systematic division has resulted in a widely accepted notion whereby the public sphere is demarcated as a men’s zone and the private sphere as belonging to women. Consequently, women are expected to stay at home and manage the household chores while men are supposed to go out and make a living with no interest whatsoever in the running of the household.
This divide is said to be grounded in the intrinsic nature of men and women. Women are believed to be compassionate, affectionate and loving and these supposedly ‘feminine’ qualities make them the right fit for caring roles. Men, on the other hand are allegedly more sturdy, strong and bold and hence, the ones to deal with the ordeals of the outside world.
Investing in women means many things beyond the obvious meaning of this IWD2024 theme, as the many orgs doing stellar work can show us.
What does it mean to invest in women?
Telling the women in our lives how great we think they are? That we value the sacrifices they have made? (Usually though not necessarily only – a sacrifice of their aspirations, careers and earning potential in order to focus on family).
No, thank you. Just talk is no longer going to cut it. Roses and compliments are great, but it’s time people, leaders, organizations put their money, capital, resources on track instead.
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