From Where I am
I'm wondering whether I should feel doubly grateful for all the blessings bestowed upon me as a woman of this century and country, or if I should feel depressed at the plight of women still suffering.
I watched Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy, and Jafar Panahi's The Circle. In all these movies, women played key roles, in a man's world. I am not doing any reviews of these movies - the links will take you to fairly comprehensive reviews.
The mother's role in the former filled me with anguish. I had heard of several stories from my parents, of people living through difficult times, but the movie really brought home the message to me. Women struggling to simply exist - at their wits' end on how to survive - creating lives for others by swallowing their own dreams... and how little we offspring think or understand about those struggles.
The latter movie, which is set in Iran, reminded me of caged animals pacing up and down restlessly, yearning for freedom, straining against their restraints. A simple act of lighting a cigarette becomes fraught with symbolism.
Both made me restless and unhappy. They whipped off my rose-tinted glasses and presented a harsh reality that was a rude intrusion into my comfortable life, a grim reminder of what can be.
I think I'll settle for gratitude. Grateful that I've been born into a home where education was considered a birth-right, and a career almost mandatory. Grateful to have settled into a love, respect, and trust based relationship. Grateful for the freedom to call an auto, or hire a taxi and go where I want to. Grateful for the liberty to blog this from the comfort of my home, not having to worry where my next meal is coming from.
Cliches all, but worth cherishing. A single bug in my life's logic could have taken me down a very different path.
I watched Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy, and Jafar Panahi's The Circle. In all these movies, women played key roles, in a man's world. I am not doing any reviews of these movies - the links will take you to fairly comprehensive reviews.
The mother's role in the former filled me with anguish. I had heard of several stories from my parents, of people living through difficult times, but the movie really brought home the message to me. Women struggling to simply exist - at their wits' end on how to survive - creating lives for others by swallowing their own dreams... and how little we offspring think or understand about those struggles.
The latter movie, which is set in Iran, reminded me of caged animals pacing up and down restlessly, yearning for freedom, straining against their restraints. A simple act of lighting a cigarette becomes fraught with symbolism.
Both made me restless and unhappy. They whipped off my rose-tinted glasses and presented a harsh reality that was a rude intrusion into my comfortable life, a grim reminder of what can be.
I think I'll settle for gratitude. Grateful that I've been born into a home where education was considered a birth-right, and a career almost mandatory. Grateful to have settled into a love, respect, and trust based relationship. Grateful for the freedom to call an auto, or hire a taxi and go where I want to. Grateful for the liberty to blog this from the comfort of my home, not having to worry where my next meal is coming from.
Cliches all, but worth cherishing. A single bug in my life's logic could have taken me down a very different path.
posted by thoughtraker at 9:43 AM
2 Comments:
Well said ano,thank god to be in such a life,but yes,the situations for some r horrble to even listen to.god help the world of suchkind. and damn the social norms and conditions which put restrictions to life of a lady. who the hell r they fighting,i feel the rule makers r fighting themselves.scared probably.
ano,
sense ur blightness, but with all humility i shall ask you,imagine what if everyone who hada resonably decent life died grateful....? i understand u have chosen to be grateful, but there exists things which may reflect how much grateful you are...?
just if u don get it.....delete it.
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