On International Women’s Day

 

Just sharing my perspective as I observed or experienced. In my home, while growing up men are in minority (in terms of number). I seriously did not have a peer group (of boys) as boys are either older than me or younger to me. I was more comfortable with girls’, friends of my sisters and used to play with them, while gossiping starts I used to move away.  In school 6-10 was in boys’ school so I started mingling and playing with boys but at home again I had only one neighbor with whom I was close, though he was younger to me.

Only in Intermediate when I joined the college in Intermediate, though it is a co-ed college, those were the days' boys’ group and girls group no way of talking to each other, hardly any conversation or even if it will be on a need-to-know basis only. Again, in degree college, it is a residential college only for boys. But all these earlier years it was only a friend for me, with whom I used to go to movies and it in his place over lunch or dinner gossiping during my vacation. At home boys and girls are treated equally education is the only property that will be given as inheritance and this was reiterated time and again. And each one is to do their own chores, and all must learn cooking irrespective of gender (by the way it was my father who taught my mother cooking, though all relatives and friends praise my mother for her cooking skills).

I started real life when I joined the University of Hyderabad, where girls in my class are more competitive intelligent and at the same time down-to-earth. In the initial days, I had issues in relation to communication as I was not good at conversing in English. Three mostly became particularly good friends (we had a group of 5 three were girls). At times I wonder I dumb I was. But all of them tolerated me in fact a senior always used to comment “you are protected by three Deviyan”. And one particularly adopted me as a kid and always supported me in all the years and never lost her cool. In my ups and downs, she was there. She brought her family and in-laws to adopt me as well. I know she always worried about me as I never had any purpose or agenda of life.

In my 30s I started seriously working towards my life and started a career that I want (at least I felt that way during that time). And during that time, I met my mentor Usha Mukunda (I am giving her name here as she does not mind if I mention, though she is a very modest woman) and ever since she is always there whenever I want a suggestion or advice, she is always a morale booster and motivated me. And in the 40s though I got myself settled in work and doing well but somehow I started a recluse life and refused to meet people other than that I know, then met a girl who brought me to social life, and I am what I am today in terms of meeting people and getting along with all age groups.

Thank you all for making my life more colorful…….

I wanted to thank you on this day……