A quaint place –
In my heart
safely harboured.
Donning rustic beauty
Puerile, pleasant and warmer.
The road to my hamlet
meters to thousand,
But if I ever to reach
Close my eyes
And peep deep,
I reach my destination.
The place made me what I am
And it comes with me to where I be.
There’s nothing is this world parallel to a mother’s heart; the seemingly natural role at times transcends and surpasses a form beyond natural. The unique mother-child bond which we share with our own one is as exclusive yet an universal feeling. Being a mother has made me accept things out of my way, realising the bigger picture and above all charmed me to embrace love in its supreme element – Selflessness.
While at the beginning of my blogging journey I have penned down a write-up on ‘Children and Freedom’ from my personal encounters and exposure to motherhood, which with your grace was much appreciated. With great pleasure I mention that the article is being published in the acclaimed Huffington Post India.
For my readers and fellow blogger friends, I submit the link below. I would much appreciate your time and views. Stay loved and at peace.
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/chaitali-bhattacharjee/lets-talk-about-freedompa_b_8280458.html
Based on San Francisco, California, SOULSpot is a conscious media network serving content to Youtube, Facebook, and Conscious Cloud. With ever expanding likers and 1, 21, 270 followers worldwide, the platform stands for the vision of love and expansion of humanity’s well being.
My gladness for being published on their esteemed channel of expression for blogs. While a lot has been said and written about beauty and it’s subjectivity, I intend to keep this article simple for the purpose of giving a positive reinforcement for what we possess and valuing life in itself. My beatitude in sharing the one: http://soulspottv.com/blog/5-truths-that-show-why-true-beauty-lies-within/
You smoke your life away
A hazy sooty release
for that instant rapture.
Ask the one
Consumed by incessant spasm
Devoured by fear
Of morbid uncertainty.
Of odds in living and dying.
Clutched with chemo
bidding to outrun Carcinoma.
Gasping for one lease,
Or a stroke of luck maybe!
You spent thousands
to have that illusion
called perfection.
The bridge of your nares(nose)
aligned symmetrical.
Another forsaken attempt
to fill the hollowness
of deep recess
gone astray.
Ask the one
Who lost her face,
The divine impression
of her uniqueness,
days until nineteen.
Perpetrated by cruelty
Unaware and unknown,
An attack acrid –
Harsh pungent reality
she exists and lives in.
Searching for her lost self
With leftover or no face maybe!
You have a portioned bite,
Not much to your fancy
neither upholds your fine taste.
A nibble here and dribble there,
Wide potpourri of savouries
until half picked other wasted.
Food catering to dainty senses.
Ask the one
The one with those
Ever urging growling stomach.
And the one with those
Ever famished wretched eyes.
scanning through the trash cans
every day and most of nights.
Hunting for source of sustenance
shreds, scraps or mouthful
anything will suffice.
Irony of misery in need;
Sharp biting pangs of hunger
even camouflages
filth, muck and sleaze.
And those ever beseeching prayers
amidst the rotting debris,
aching for nothing less than
a morsel of miracle.
Or something edible maybe!
You are as busy as bee.
Hundreds to manage
another fifty to oversee.
Little one came rushing –
overzealous, demanding and gushing.
You term those cry over nagging
and choose to disregard.
And at times uneasy and unwilling
you snort and lash it out.
Those ever seeking
attention and whims
takes a toll on you.
But at what price!
Ask the one
Emotionally barren
And physically depleted.
Feeling duped by nature
arid, abject and dispirited.
Latching to any
tiny ray of glimmer,
Like a drowning man
will clutch at a straw.
Little feet, kisses and snuggle,
A soul as chaste, gentle and raw.
All it Yearns for
A kindred bond and that soulful kinship,
A salvation from days of hardship.
A cackle which may fill
the unspeakable emptiness.
A silly tantrum which will spread
hue to blankness.
Or a chance to be called ‘mum’ maybe!
Life at times become undue and unfair,
Reasons may be many to whine and despair.
Behold and Bethink
The things which you take for granted,
Could be someone’s countless plea and earnest prayer.
Embrace your blessings
Indeed reckon them,
For the ripple it creates
will nourish your wounded soul.
And usher you to the world
of endless possibility out of nowhere.
Or else, there’s always at the least in your life
That One thing to be happy about maybe!
These days are largely subjective; biting perceptions with a hint of melodrama here and there. These days we live with a clause(and claws too). Mostly these are the days when we rely more on tags and labels and bracketing, when squibbing and display is the real deal than the real substance itself.
I am not even talking about the fine luxury Movado flashed in the profile picture of my distantly common to common friend in FB list, exhibited slyly . That’s superficial, right! I am rooting for something deeper than this.
SCENARIO – I
Let me then start with my own first hand actuality. I have mentioned it before in some of my journals that I am a quintessential woman and love every part of being a woman. So do you label me a feminist then?
My life experiences, occurrences, exposure and sensibility has led me to feel certain way about issues sensitive pertaining to gender bias not in general but being endured and witnessed in day to day phase and almost every sphere of life. In other words what I saw, heard or felt as a fellow human being from my real life happenings and cues being picked, made me believe in certain way.
Now let me clear the air before. I don’t endorse any kind of extremism be it in any form. My intention is even beyond that – very clear, very basic. A life is a life; doesn’t matter boy or a girl. It will flourish, let it flourish rather allow it to flourish into it’s absolute possible potential.
More so I believe in humanism which I am sure a term like that exists; the spirit that dwells into humanity. To make it sound coherent, anything that values life on this earth without putting a clause based on caste, creed or race and in this case gender, I respectfully defend that. So I can be a non misandrist and as well care for equality and social justice.
We human beings are dubbed as the supreme creation. Just because I am not exposed to certain debilitating circumstances should not make me raise a brow or turn blind eyes towards a cause or call.
How justified is that? Where is the empathy then?
Does that make me hate a man, of course not. It’s like ‘do you like night or day!’ I see the day because I felt the night. Perhaps nature sets the best example of coexistence and conjunction.
SCENARIO – II
The other day one of the current top best-selling author and television personality posted an intensely thoughtful quote in his social media page and those lines impressed me. What I could interpret with whatsoever knowledge I have, it talked about the intense need for sense of balance in today’s life. But then a series of slander and derogatory words were thrown at his character, forbearing, career choices, and even writing skill on the comment section.
I wonder were they actually foreseeing the calibre of T S Eliot, William Burroughs or may be James Joyce. Believe me being a language and literature student and connoisseur of words, it’s not that easy comprehending a piece of seasoned literary work . Ulysses demands as much attention and intellect as any scientific concept but catering to different faculties of mind. I wonder further were they be able to appreciate rather comprehend the syllables if it was one of the absolute classics being provided to them.
I have heard this innumerable times that to gain some you have to loose some. The author fits the bill in this case. He writes to cater to the mass; simple story about life with easy to understand English and of course some discourse on life lessons. So why not label him pseudo-intellectual!
Looks like we want sugar even if we are diabetic. I guess even that’s not the purpose. Either it’s the shameless publicity stunts or a defence mechanism to balm one’s own inner complexes or may be that few minutes of glitz and media visibility or hooligan bonhomie, they hurl those abuses even without thinking once. They come as if they have become natural recourse of life.
Whatever the reasons were, it totally diluted the deeper or richer message the quote reflected amidst personal attacks and acrimoniousness.
SCENARIO – III
Few days back there was much uproar on using a trending trick for campaigning a delicate and pressing issue of female foeticide.
Is the cliché ‘Something is better than nothing’ redundant now? Well I understand we need more than something to curb this heinous and diabolical anti-social element.
While researching for an assignment on this issue one year back I came across some horrific figures related. Foetal sex determination and sex selective abortion by unethical medical professionals has today grown into a Rs. 1,000 crore industry approx. There are concerns that PCPNDT Act has been poorly enforced by authorities and had extreme low conviction rate.
I still get teary eyed when one of the readers, a sixteen year old collegiate wrote to me after reading my piece on this issue:
June 18, 2014 at 1:13 am
“A very powerful piece of writing. I can relate to it mostly because I was an unwanted girl child. If not for my mother I wouldn’t have been alive or might be given up for adoption. But she was a strong women, and she saved me by going against her own family. I never got the guts to write about this topic, moreover because my father loves me now, and has changed his views for better. Its a touchy subject for me but you portrayed it perfectly. Thank you.. :)”
I quote exactly the words she wrote. The sad reality we live in.
Yes, of course we can’t expect overhaul in few days as the monster was neglected and grown too enormous. Awareness and Education along with compassion guarded with stringent law and order enforcement is the need. Infact this demands a movement in every level.
One thing my simple heart failed to understand how can a positive step towards mass awareness or cognizance of a compelling issue, how much ever minuscule it is, can garner such ire!
Isn’t it convenient now to label me as proponent of some colour brigade. But I don’t belong to any colour brigade or scheme with exception of the tricolour. Politics and me play hide and seek. Though I know I can avoid it to an extent but can’t ignore it being a part of the system. Like any other ordinary educated Indian, I love my country whole heartedly and aspire India to be prosperous, progressive and protective from injustice and inequality.
As from parliamentary brawls to primetime news hour and social media mud-slinging, do we always have to shout or abuse to make a point or to be heard? Or is it sometimes that the agenda is something else; just to get noticed and grab other’s attention in easiest possible manner.
When did skepticism and exhibitionism creeped into our disposition and infested the whole system devouring even the ounce of tolerance and sensibility left within us. ‘Just talking for the sake of talking’ – does this make sense!
Without clarity of thought and sense of balance, to see things the way they are and doing things the way it ought to be is that difficult today.
Irony is amidst this hullabaloo to be in the race, we missed the finishing line way back.
And that gives me the liberty to raise a question,
‘Is common sense that uncommon today?’
“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.”
– Unknown
It’s been a while. Excuses can be many but intentions have to be pure and plausible. So my heartfelt apologies for not been able to minister time to the blog. Believe it or not, it was always there in my mind, conscious and subconscious playing a remorse card amidst all the pressing engagements, being intensely tied up and living. In simple words, I missed being here. I write because I love writing; from my heart and of course to be read too.
Hope springs eternal. I do hope that I would be keeping a hold oftentimes from now on. Few days back I was delighted to be published in the much acclaimed Huffingtonpost India. The feeling of wonder, delight is of no essence if I don’t acknowledge and value my readers, for whom I stand contended today.
To pore over, check the link below:
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/chaitali-bhattacharjee/why-i-dont-want-praise-fo_b_7760284.html?utm_hp_ref=india
Mirror mirror on the wall
Who is the slimmest of the all?
Mirror mirror on the wall
Who is the wrinkle free of the all?
My bundle of joy, my little boy is six now. Never in fourteen hours of his wakefulness, he stands in front of mirror or catches a glimpse of himself unless in some blue moon he feels like making a fancy face or poke a joke on his own image. He just doesn’t feel the need for it. I know he will not stay the same, but that story rests for some other day when I face the gun. Is he not aware of his existence?
What is that makes a child not to be that self-conscious about his or her body?
Our body image is our reflection on the appearance that we carry or to say the personality we offer, which indeed is a part of our existence. But what is that makes us grown-up feel so conscious about our physicality and right here I am hinting on the attributes that we manifest aesthetically. The morning mirror throws a reality check as we brush our teeth or tidy up, to face the world. Our face and body stands there sometimes as welcoming as it could be and many times as a challenge to overcome. We agree or not but amidst all the engagements or hustle, we all do find a few seconds to steal a glimpse of our own self in mirror and adjust our demeneaour depending upon the reflection it throws at us. If not so, then why on earth would your profile pictures in social media sees you in the chosen best of the light?
While it’s not wrong to be conscious about your presentability but if believing or obsessing on ‘what you look like’ determines your value as a person, then somehow it carries unfavourable implication on your own self worth. Being fixated to physical appearance and trying to fit into this new found definition of beauty which changes every now and then with trending and sponsored media galleries, causes a superficial approach to find and feel the real you. The media hungry obsession of picture perfect body images of celebrities has done no good to us or to our coming generation, where mostly many pictures are photo shopped to the point of achieving a totally impeccable body shape or bearing. As it is there’s nothing left to fancy for or charm about with the abundance of incongruity and shamelessness exhibited in the name of glam or sham.
This reminds me of a day few years down the lane, while I used to work for a media house and was a part of a management team, who coordinated the supposedly most prestigious beauty contest of India. When I met the contestants backstage almost all of them between 18 to 24 years maidens sans make up or designer ensemble, I felt a sense of hollowness as if the air surrounding smelled of something so over-pretentious or affected. There was something not natural about it as almost all the girls looked alike or similar as if measured, dissected and pruned accordingly as to fit into a cast which defies their originality, for a reason which does not resonate with the very essence of beauty.
When all are almost same, how do we measure? But then why should we measure?
Doesn’t the beauty lies in the uniqueness of each one of us?
To add to the glory there were few who were mugging the jarred lines on women empowerment and social obligations to score a point or two. After delivering my duties which was little tiresome being into the core of the event, once I was out of the backstage and then making my way through the crowd and then out of the venue and stepped towards my vehicle, which was parked in that vast airy space outside the auditorium meant for parking, I felt a sense of relief, away from that stifling air inside which was nothing less than the mockery on the entirety of beauty. I was almost of the same age group of the beauty pageants but totally from different side of the world. I was neither as tall nor size zero like them, but there upsurged this strange sense of confidence within me which made me feel more beautiful inside as every day I lived I have seen the sense of appreciation and look of admiration of people around me who know me and may be even physically find me endurable enough and thankfully I was not a part of that pointless inane beauty parade.
Back home I switched on the TV and the same contest was going on live and this was something I have watched consistently in my teenage days. For the first time, I rejected it. Somewhere I felt a woman cocooned out of a girl. I was 23 then. It lost that charm or attention of mine after being exposed with the real manoeuvres of how it really works and what damage it actually does to the young ones projecting skewed versions of beauty. And ever since I have just stopped watching it. It doesn’t amuse or thrill me at all, no more. Infact it dissuades or makes me feel rather dismayed. Should we then blame the media alone. A family is a powerful system too. I have seen girls of as early as ten or twelve following dieting or exhibiting eating disorders just to be part of the insane race or to feel validated by peer group and the surroundings.
Quite recently I attended a puberty ceremony(sort of sweet sixteen) of my neighbour’s daughter. She was dressed in traditional attire with golden brocade silks and rich ornate jewelleries. She wore makeup, may be for the first time. She is not that typical beauty which certain set standards proclaim but at plumper side. But there flickered a sweet smile on her face and a sense of delight lingered in her poise. At that moment I was so sure of what I wanted to tell her being a woman who has passed that impressionable and sensitive phase of girlhood. I just looked at her eyes as there were people around and noise and told her assuredly that ‘you look beautiful today as you are a gorgeous, gorgeous girl.’ I could feel the twinkle in hers eyes sparkled a bit more with sort of a sense of achievement. And I am sure that with years to pass by, when certain days will be harsher to her, words of appreciation and assurance like this treasured in her innermost self will give her the spunk to fight back and have belief in her own being.
Our body is this amazing gift; appreciating and respecting all the things it can do will help us to feel more positive about it and notions like this if instilled at right age into our sweet little ones will create a more self-reliant and secure generation.
And now comes the formidable question once again to be grappled with:
What is that makes a child not to be that conscious about his/her body image?
Perhaps if we think deeper, we will realise that childhood to certain stage lacks that state of self- consciousness as somewhere their physical state of being is in tandem or harmony with their mind, emotion and intellect. A child accepts his body the way it is, without making any fuss about what he is not or what he should be in terms of appearance. And there lies a subtle message for us in this as the day we accept our physicality the way it is like a child, instead of grouching on that extra inch gain or freaking on one fine line appearing in forehead, may be we will understand the true beauty God has bestowed on each of us; the beauty of being you.
The beauty which defines you and only you and no one else. It’s being accepting who you are rather than trying to chase a never ending unrealistic race of being who you are not. It’s having learned to appreciate how each part of your body connects, and how wonderful it is to be able to use it fully in harmony with your senses alive. It’s being comfortable in your own skin. It’s been feeling beautiful by being alive in itself.
It’s not about what mirror reflects,
but rather about how we reflect
on what we see is the key.
Just give your body some love and that’s what all it needs to feel the real beauty in you. Until then I wonder, How the world would have been with no mirrors around? Does it even matter as long as you feel you are beautiful inside and out!
Love, Life and Whatever 