Help woman to support empowerment

I remember in my school days, I wouldn’t go out much in holidays. We lived in a building where 24 odd families lived in various flats. So close were the flats that my mom would ask me to close the stove hearing the whistle of the pressure cooker, although it was of neighbor’s. Most of the ladies of the building were the homemaker. Some of them were working ladies and busy as office hours were prolonged for Allahabad too. Occasional greeting never got me to understand what all hidden talents women had. One of these holidays I happen to talk to one of my aunties that I don’t know how to cook the cake. Least interested in everyday cooking I was blessed with a mom who never liked whenever I was in Kitchen. Occasional pakoda, sandwich , rolls and constant tea making were all my memories of my paternal kitchen. Aunty invited me to learn baking cake in cooker. I was surprised as she didn’t “look” like a woman who could bake cakes and all. Yes in “small town” looks decided your mental, cooking, dancing etc skills. Such biasness!

I remember the first cooking in her kitchen. With no paper and pencil, I enjoyed my Aunty’s Bihari accent and followed her recipe. With minutest details, she told me about the procedure which nowadays “Youtubers” happily skip. Like a true “homemaker” she knew what all can go wrong while cooking and all those insights were given to me. When I came back with the cake which “we “made” everyone in my family enjoyed it to the fullest. In the next few days, I made the cake all by myself in the cooker and took it to my teacher (with a gem as a topping!).

She could easily run a cooking class, a skill which many ladies are using to earn a living. Yet what prevents such talented ladies with the skill of dancing, painting, crafts, cooking etc? Is it the ladies around play a role too? Sending to a “class” but not promoting women to invest time in expending those skills to people around. Think about it, its small example. Cooking? ahh everyone knows and learn, what’s the big deal. But for me who was into studies, the baking of cake in pressure cooker made me knowledgeable in a quite different field and any knowledge empowers you.

I will always remember my “pressure cooker waala cake”waali aunty. I just wish that ladies promote women to bring out their skills, no matter how small it is. As charity begins at home at least we can start from neighbors!

BTW that aunty taught me egg cake while she herself wouldn’t eat egg (the ones who consider egg also as non-veg)!

 

Sad but not depressing

A few days back I happened to visit the family of my husband’s friend in Chandigarh. Being in dilemma what to take for the sister of the house, a bibliophile like me decided book would be best. Sector 17 the happening place of Chandigarh luckily showed 2 bookstores. Now the unlucky part, I never thought that bookstores of Doon and Chandigarh are way off track. Most of the bookstore cater to stationary and school needs and not as such “novel utopia”. Yet I tried my luck and asked for The Last Lecture by Randy Pauch. The owner actually knew about it and we got to buy it. My husband who never doubted my reading skill asked what the book is about. I told him that the book is about a lecturer who comes to know he is going to die. When the author was asked to give a lecture which would be called his last lecture of life, he decided to make it worthwhile. he discussed his dreams, his learning, his fulfilling of each bucket list and in the end, each of these details is surmised in a line of advice. “So he dies”? was my perplexed husband question. He just couldn’t fathom why would I gift someone a swan song.

I never saw The Last lecture as a depressing genre. Its words are pure. A person who happens to see the ending of life can write from the soul. It gives an insight into “human learning”. Nothing manipulative about the words. A book like this touches your soul and at the same time make one understand the greatest gift of God. A small life should also be made worthwhile by living each day to the fullest and making memories on the way.

The second book on the same genre sad but not depressing is When Breath becomes air by Paul Kalanithi. A neurosurgeon who was treating patients finds himself patient at the age of 36. His struggle to accept the Cancer and write about his thoughts in a beautiful book. Being a successful neurosurgeon and professor, he could have written many experiences, much gospel of medicine but as rightly put by Abraham Verghese, he chose to write about time. The ultimate truth and non-reversing and most valuable time.

These books are the insight into life. They definitely talk about individual loss which no one can fill in, yet aren’t we all bubbles on this planet. At least we get so much inspiration to fight everyday battles and accept the value of life.