A month of adjustment

As I complete four months of my break from work life, I reflect on how the month of Apr 2024 has been for me. 

Globally, there were quite a few natural disasters viz. earthquakes, floods, hurricanes etc. There was unrest in political situation across the world (Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Iran), leading to financial volatility and many parts of India experienced severe heatwave conditions for most part of April. Social media has been full of the rising trend of job losses, especially in the IT field, and conspiracy theories regarding the same. The threat of continued, if not increasing, unemployment is something that cannot be ignored anymore else it will soon hit our youth across other industries too.

On the personal front, kiddo commenced her grade 9 from Apr 1st. Right off the at, the heat in the classrooms as well as the school bus has affected the kids. Some even suffered from heat stroke symptoms. She also started her external classes this month, four times a week, and that took some adjustment too. All in all, the increased syllabus of secondary school, the looming threat of more changes in CBSE norms (until June) and additional subjects viz. Sewa (social work) are something that have been on my mind this last month. In the backdrop, all the political parties have been campaigning heavily for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections; the news and social media have been full of reactions to the same. Sometimes I wonder if this will be the last election of the world's largest democracy (requires a separate post). 

All in all, it seems to be a very depressing scenario. Yet, there were many highlights for me personally, during this month. The paperback version of my book sold quite a few copies and I started to receive reviews from some folks. I even received the first payment for my book! I got an opportunity to connect with many different parties when I was exploring the option of doing a book launch party - right from publishers, media to other authors. Feedback about my book coming from my mom and her pride in my achievement (with her extended family, neighbours and friends) filled me with joy! I started promoting my book actively on all social media platforms and the response there has been heart warming. So many have shared that they are proud of my achievement or were touched by my bold decision and journey. Thank God for social media - it keeps one's network always updated about our achievements and its great to hear from distant school, college friends or ex-colleagues from decades ago!

There have been comments like "Do not stop writing, its a God-given gift to you!" And another, where a neighbour wants me to address our society about my author journey and importance of writing. Or another neighbour who exclaimed that "You have always been a determined and sincere one and you finally achieved your dream! You must now mentor me to publish my book!" A male school friend, with whom I have not been in touch with that much. even went so far as to say - "You have a lovely soul hidden underneath that exterior, you’re a lovely wife and the best mother. The qualities a woman should possess, you have that. You are a fighter. Despite being a strict woman, you have at least 50 soft corners." I am blown away by how much people notice about you just from the fleeting interactions they have had with you over the decades! Feedback has not always been positive. Have received brickbats on the front cover of my book, or the audio quality of my reels on social media, or even that I am turning into an activist as an author.

Amidst all this busyness I managed to read some good books and watch a few good movies too. My reviews of movies, documentaries and other books are been taken seriously. I am also attending a 15-day class called 'Learning Ninja techniques', wherein we are being trained to read and comprehend at speed. This will not only help to absorb new things faster, research quickly but also motivate to read and learn more. I have learned some really great techniques so far, which I had not been aware despite being an avid reader all my life! All in all, I feel that my extensive management skills were put to good use on the home front in the month of Apr. It was heartening to see both my other half as well as kiddo organize their closets after seeing me do the same back in Mar 2024!

As May advances, looking forward to kiddo's summer break and our annual out-station holiday. Of course, there is some project work to be completed by kiddo, and her classes continue until mid-May. Still its a break from the hectic routine in the intense heat. So many things to look forward to in the new month!