Education == Career is a lopsided equation

I was asked by a C-suite person - How were my friends similar to me faring in the job scenario ? I was a little bemused by the question 'coz I realized at that time I did not know any woman wanting to get back into the corporate scene especially after the kind of break I have taken - 8 years ! :)

I have never been one of those people who think that women do not matter the minute they do not earn especially if they have been educated. I firmly believe contribution comes in various forms and the equation Education == Career ( solely counting rungs of the ladder climbed ) views only one aspect of it. To be sure, being financially independent is great and does give a lot of choice and a feeling of empowerment but I have never run down women who take a break or don't take a break. What works for each person / family is different.

Personal choices aside - bringing up a child to be a good citizen is not something that should be looked down upon or taken for granted. Still there are a whole host of people out there who believe "children grow by themselves" and if a woman is educated and does not work - it is a waste educating her. Yes, I have been told this in various forms including by one elder person who honestly should have known better considering how much of life he has seen. Never mind !!!

Getting back to the question - I reeled off ..........

I answered that friends who have taken a break from a formal career - are doing different things now or are entrepreneurs -

• One had opened a book shop, has developed soft skills modules which are being integrated into the Diploma curriculum across the state, has worked with teen suicide helpline and and ....... does so many things I cannot keep track of them since they are so varied ! :) She is now on her latest entrepreneurial venture which will be open soon.

• This friend has opened a pre-school, is being advised by ISB which had chosen her as a part of group of women entrepreneurs within a certain criteria. Prior to this she volunteered in Doorstep school - a school for migrant children.

• Many friends have turned to teaching - be it as Montessori teachers, Primary school teachers. Maths coaching or even a Language teacher.

• Another friend works with differently-abled children and organizes events for them

• In the next circle of acquaintances - some one is into jewellery design, another into saree design, one has opened a toy library, another lady is a fashion designer.

And so ........ I was aware I had not really answered the question since I did not know anyone in the same boat as I was in but I did realize - I have diverse set of friends none of whom are looking at getting back to the formal ladder !!!! ;) 

As an aside - if I were to expand to the next degree [ Six degrees of separation anyone ? ] - I will come across women involved in organic manure, dog training, costume dresses, designer kids clothing, beautician, pastry baking, counselling special kids, webdesign freelancing, book lending library and elder care!

Friends indeed .....




They say a crisis brings out the best in a person ... I believe it brings out the best in one's friends too.


My Mom was taken to ICU in the 3rd week of September and she is now home .. it has been a long 3 weeks where she spent 90% of her time in the ICU. Obviously not the best emotional time for me either !! And it has been a harrowing time ... it seemed like anything that could go wrong ... did go wrong. [ including me getting a viral red eye ....... right in the midst of needing to be in the hospital ... grrrr ].

 

Thankfully .....I am glad to say .... she is much better now and certainly on the road to complete recovery.  Ok .. so why the blog post ? Because ...

 

Every single friend who came to know of this has stretched out a helping hand and meant it too .... ! [ and no .. I had better things to do than to made an announcement of the rush to the hospital on that ill-fated morning ... ]

 

• A friend took care of my daughter on the day I had to rush to the hospital and would have been happy to be of help for more days too ...
• I had friends who wanted to pick up my daughter from school and take care of her .... knowing that this would one big area of concern for me .... [ since we were not sure of the number of days Mom would be in the hospital ... we put my baby into the day home in the same school ]
• I got home made food at the hospital [ probably could have got it for every meal .. but I don't like putting others to so much trouble !!! :)) ]
• I was relieved of the tense wait with a friend who came to visit me there ... [ not just once !! ]
• Logistics of ensuring my home was clean .. was taken care of .. even though I was not at home ...
• Many calls of concern .. sympathy ....and support ..
• At no point did I feel that I would not have my friends to fall back on .. whenever I needed them ...
• And so .. on ....

I am also thankful that within 10 min of my calling the school ... my daughter's day care was arranged ... without any fuss whatsoever. Not only that ... they intimated me ... that she was doing fine ... which was considerate ...

 

So all in all ... it is a mixed bag of emotions - surprise at the help, sad at the circumstances requiring this and a

gladness that I have so many well wishers ...

 

If I had not already identified my friends from mere acquaintances .. I definitely would have recognized them after this !!!  ;)

 

Thank you .... !!! :)

Colors of Friendship .....

I have been ruminating on this thought for sometime but it may never have made it to the blog but for the serendipity of receiving a perfect friendship message for this post!

Also, I think my sacchariferous post may be more easily tolerated now - post friendship day ! :)

There are numerous odes to lifelong friends and best friends which I need not repeat here and I have no grouse about them. I just wonder why do short-term friends get the short-shrift almost always ?
Reminiscing - There was this friend with whom I concocted schemes to steal unripe and sour mangoes and equally unripe and hard-as-stone guavas from the neighborhood grouch ! :) A roomie who I thought had the weirdest (read worst ! :) ) taste in music and who believed the same of me. And well ...... etc etc etc .... :)
Not all brief friendships were fun either. A painful lesson in self-reliance was learnt because my friend in school dumped me for another girl who was more exciting and glamorous ( sounds crazy right ? :) ) during the summer holidays and I lost my entire crowd of friends ( my school and home friends were the same ... since we all went to the same school ) in one fell swoop. I had to face the sneers and snigger's from being an outcast ! :) Definitely my first heartbreak ! :)

I am sure most would have had different friends at the various stages in life with myriad experiences [ / capers? :) ] shared with them. Some may still be there today ....

Unarguably if were I meet some of these transient friends - I might not ( ok ok most likely not ) remember their names, the meeting might be awkward ( only so much time can be spent reliving old escapades ! ;) ), might not recognize them and some might just ignore me. But this does not diminish what they meant to me at whatever point of life I met them.

I have spent several lifetimes in those moments with them. :) And learnt that it takes all kinds to make the world ! ;)

And that being the case - I think while long term and best friends do have their place .... butterflies, fireworks, shooting stars, aurora borealis and annoying bee stings :) - all make up the kaleidoscope of our lives.

So I would like to say , what my friend said ...... "Friends are like sketch pens. They color our lives. I may not be your favorite color, but you will need me somewhere to complete your picture." :)

Happy Friendship Day ..... Belatedly !!! :)))