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The 'what do you do' question usually refers to one's occupation, but in this case, became a moment to reflect on one's deepest beliefs about life.
The ‘what do you do’ question usually refers to one’s occupation, but in this case, became a moment to reflect on one’s deepest beliefs about life.
“What do you do?,” asked my co-passenger on a flight from Mumbai to Delhi. We had come much farther from what is usually just an exchange of amiable glances between strangers and were amidst a conversation which had moved from monosyllables to well-formed sentences about details of our lives, interspersed with occasional laughter. Rather inquisitive, my co-passenger was a charming 40-something woman who was going to Delhi for receiving an award for her work on women empowerment.
“I eat, pray and love”, I said with a reflexive smile.
“Well, I mean, like, are you working or stay- at- home?” Confounded, she rephrased the question.
I reiterated matter- of -factly, “I eat, love and pray. I eat to survive, love to revive, and pray to thrive. I also write and translate books. But my brief for each day is to be human, the identity I am born with. I seek my ‘hygge‘ through living upto this identity.”
For me the word ‘Eat’ encompasses fulfillment of needs for survival and a restrained indulgence. I am definitely not an ascetic but surely austere. I prefer frugality to vanity, and try to exercise self-control and discipline. Isn’t gluttony one of the seven sins? A consciousness about when a handful changes into sinful is what I seek to acquire.
‘Love’ for me is an action verb. It is not just a feeling but a decision, a response and a choice. A smattering of humour and laughter, a bias towards impeccable words, a heart of compassion and endurance, are an absolute source of love. It lightens the situation and diffuses the steam from a possible altercation. Every single day, I choose to love against clear cues to blow my top. So when my helper allowed the milk to overflow while boiling, I chose my response, (it was hard) as “Don’t cry over spilt milk.” We had a hearty laugh and I added, “Next time,better luck.” I choose to be temperate over temperamental!
‘Pray’ for me is action plus state of mind which I seek to possess amidst the vagaries of a rough day. It is a place where my movements and interactions are marked by thankfulness, gratitude and non-complaining attitude. Each adversity is an opportunity to count one’s blessings.
A place where – bitter is not bad, simple is not sad and the mind is not mad!
From human being to being human is what I do!
Top image via Unsplash
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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