No good comes out of ignoring your Prime Minister!

When I first started to writing about women's issues, I could NOT decide one issue that is the most important. There are just so many of them! But I know many great bloggers (mostly women) all around the world are writing about all these issues, making their readers aware. This post is for them. And to the Prime Ministers of our homes - the prominent women in our lives. Mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, daughter-in-laws, who run the household, work, maintain public relations, take care of everyone, find time for all the people in their lives and yet manage to look wonderful all the time! What else must these superwomen be called if not Prime Minister? It takes more skills to do all this alone than it takes to run a country!

And this thought made me back up a little bit. What exactly is a Prime Minister? Someone who is responsible for everything. The buck stops at him. Or in this case her. And then it's really easy to make the correlation. Unfortunately, that is where the comparison ends. There's all the responsibility, but none of the perks. A bulk load of money and resources are spent for the well-being of one, but none for the other. It pains me to see that we go about our lives taking so many things for granted, including the health of these great women.

How many of us go for regular complete check-ups? For all we know Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Breast or Ovarian Cancer and many other life-threatening diseases could be right around the corner. We live precariously on the edge! I have seen many women lose their lives for ignoring symptoms and going to the doctor at the last stage, when nothing can be done. When something could have been done, only if they had been more careful! If you have ever air-traveled, you would know this - Anybody is supposed to put on their own oxygen masks first before helping others. Then how can we go about our lives taking care of loved ones, without ever thinking to take care of ourselves? How many of us remember to regularly check for lumps in our breasts? How many of us even know when it is supposed to be done? How many of devote time for regular exercise? How many of eat stale food so that the rest of the family eats fresh? Why? Why do we do this to ourselves?

And I also know that there are many more issues that are far more grave than this one, and yet we forget the lessons of childhood. Start with the simplest problem. Take the first step to solve this problem that should not even exist in the first place! And then, when that is in place go out and change the world! Make it a better place for all women.

And so, this is my appeal to each and every woman out there - Please take care of yourself. Take time this women's day and appreciate the best one you know - yourself! Let this be the day when all of us make efforts to keep ourselves healthy and fit, so that we can help out many others out there who don't have the resources to do so. Take time this women's day to go for that annual check-up, join that yoga class or just remind yourself of how much you and your life is worth, not just to yourself but to an entire household that you run, which will break down if it wasn't for you. Appreciate the "me"!

Cheers!

This is my entry for the IndusLadies International Women's Day Blog Contest. I chose to write for Hygiene & Healthcare. I am very interested in knowing a man's point of view in women's issues, so I am also going tag one along with the women. I apologize if you guys might not find time to participate, but I am still really interested in knowing what you think!

So I tag - Amortya, Avanti and Chica. Take it away guys! You can find the contest here.

Profound thought for the day!

And you bettah hear me cuz it don't hit me everyday sistah!

Ok so now that that's out of my system. Phew. Anyway, it hit me in the shower, just like all great ideas do...based on my day today - You cannot keep waiting for the right moment to take the plunge. Like you cannot keep saying I am going to do it(whatever it is that you want to do) when I have a new house, enough money, more friends etc.You just have to go ahead and do it. Take the plunge. Dive into it. Immerse yourself. You know, get the picture? And no I'm not talking about swimming here. (Gotcha!)

And yes, I know what you're thinking (I can read minds). This? I already know this? What's new in that? Well I'll tell you what's new. Nothing really. I just wanted to remind everyone who reads this today/tonight.
Go. For. It. No matter how big or small .

(Although I would suggest start with small. Also this blog and it's author are in  no way responsible for the ill consequences of this advice, even though we are open to receiving gratitude. In cash.)

Seriously. Do it. Also, here are some steps on how to "go for it" -
Step 1: Figure out what it is that you want to go for.
Step 2: Think of consequences that might affect this blog or it's author.
Step 3: If there's anything that you thought of in step 2, goto Step 1.Else goto Step 4.
Step 4: Go for it.

If you want more redundant algorithms on how to go for it, please contact the author. (It will cost you.)

Later!

PS: Seriously, Go for it! :)

Getting older, dreams, wedding...Life!

I had a funny lil dream last night. I was at my engineering college reunion. There were boys there too somehow, even though my college is all-girls. But that's not the point. The point is, all girls were crying cos one of my friends (who is now married for 2 years) wrote a speech about how difficult life is after marriage. And of course I missed the speech, since I reached there late (I reach late most of the places, it's a disease, I'm a victim!), but got this gist when I reached. In my dream.

I woke up laughing. But obviously I had to dissect it under a microscope. Why did I get this dream? Why? Is it because I am scared of getting married? Maybe. See I am not even sure where I am going with this information here. But I guess I just wanted to put it out there. In case someone knows a cure. And while you're at it, I would also like to know how to get it up for my own wedding stuff like - mehendi, make-up, jewellery, saris.

On an aside, these days I keep thinking about how old I am getting(25!). And how it's changing me. Just the other day I was looking into the mirror and getting the famous "I'm so ugly" syndrome. But soon enough I checked myself. I reminded myself that i am 25 and not 16 anymore. I need to be more confident and comfortable with myself. Obviously this pep-talk didn't help for long. But something else did. I saw news, and saw how terrible a situation it is in Haiti. And then I couldn't help but feel lucky and surprisingly got over my syndrome in a minute. If I was 16, this wouldn't have happened. So yea, maybe being 25 gives you flabby mid-rif (or is it - sitting and doing nothing), but it also gives you wisdom. For which I am so thankful! Life's good!

Long overdue story

A few thousand years back, I had promised to come up with the story of "Meet the parents", and why it's such a bad idea for me to go through with it. Now, after several thousand years, here it is -

Yes. I met his parents (obviously, since we are getting married now!!See the more I say it, the more I accept it). And before I go into anymore details of how it went, we will travel through time a bit (No, not just because. There's a reason I promise.).

So let's rewind to some months back in time. In my defense I did not even have any business being there. I was only tagging along. There I am sitting in the living room of a friend's brother, who's just had a baby. Let's call him "Bhaiya". (duuu-uh). And his wife(newborn baby's mother) - "Bhabhi". (super duuu-uh). Anyway. I could not find out for sure, but she definitely looked not more than 26. Alright? so now use your imagination. There I am visiting them for the first time. And there we all are - my friend, couple of other friends, me, Bhabhi, baby; all laughing, cooing at the sweet kid. And suddenly, out of nowhere, God alone knows why in the world, Bhabhi goes - "Aap log kuch lenge, kuch chai yea cold drink?". I mean why? Why would she do that to me?

You want to know why it is so terrible? Ok, I'll tell you why. Because I replied this - "Nahi nahi Aunty, don't worry, kuch takleef mat kijiye!!!" Duuuuude, I called that girl barely an year older than me AUNTY!!!! Imagine my embarrassment! OMG. And reading many mommy blogs did not help, as I knew, right around this time - she would have been also dealing with post partum depression, relatively low self-esteem, and such like! Now I was feeling super embarrassed AND super-duper guilty. Eventually I did go and apologize and to her utter amusement, explained my stunted social skills and awkward behavioral syndrome as the reasons for the "unfortunate accident". Thank God I did not drop her baby after all this.

This was exhibit 1.

Now lets forward to two weeks ahead (we had traveled back, remember? we are still in the past of now, for all who think we are looking into the future). I am invited by this friend over dinner, since his parents were visiting and are leaving in a couple of days. I am meeting them for the first time. He(my friend) has of course invited like 15 more people, and there I am sitting in living room - full of people who I am seeing for the first time! Just for fun imagine you are a deer and it's night time. You are going along happily on your way without a care in life, and suddenly out of nowhere you are blinded! There's more light than even in daylight, and of course you freeze. Did you imagine the deer's face? Good. Now put that face on mine, when his dad asks me a loud question across the room - "Where do you live beta?".

Disclaimer: Not only am I very awkward in social situations, I go mute when people talk to me across the room because then everybody can hear what I say. Ok back to the question. Simple enough right? Wrong. (Background: He's visiting US for the first time has no clue about any area in Boston) And so I stuttered my way to utter embarrassment - "I live at 42 Symphony Rd, Apt 5". And the moment I said that I realized how dumb must I sound, so instead of clarifying I just shut up! Fortunately - M came to my rescue and saved me by saying that's near our school. (Maybe that's why you need someone by your side. See another good reason to get married).

And there are many many other similar stories, but all this time travel has made me time-travel-sick so I'll summarize by saying these were reason enough for me to freak out of my wits. Cos I was not just meeting his parents, I was meeting his uncles, aunts, their children, and then their children. You get the picture. Long story short - it went well. I might or might not have had a Cosmo before meeting them. Although I was quiet for the most part, I mostly did not talk crap when I was asked questions. Maybe God was finally cutting me some slack (at the right time too!) after all the crap He released into the universe through me. Or maybe, just maybe I am not socio-phobic (is that a word? I'm too lazy to google) anymore. Yea right?!

Later folks!