On Wed, Nov 15, 2017 at 6:11 PM, Thaths <[email protected]> wrote: > On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 9:01 AM Radhika, Y. <[email protected]> wrote: > > > The most important thing I changed my mind about won't change the world > but > > it may change my relationship with it. I used to think that I was good > with > > children. Hell, no, I just want to be a child. > > > > If you are up for it, could you share more? >
R: Almost every thing that I want to do with my son are things that I want to do better or overi.e. things left behind in childhood or neglected because I did not touch them deeply enough. Almost none of that interests my son and if he obeys, and it is obedience rather than interest, it is to please me. What interests him are ice hockey, making the bus sound while riding on local buses, sweets, LEGO and parents who persuade with a bribe or two rather than an obstinate authoritarian parent. Ergo, I gave it up and what a relief, it is! > > > > ON other things I changed my mind about: > > - being Indian I had to be interested in all things Indian (exhausting) > > > > I apologize, but I can't parse that. Are you saying that being an India you > used to think that you had to be interested in all things India, and you > have changed your mind about this (i.e., no longer being interested in > EVERYTHING Indian, but picking and choosing)? > > Thaths > A: Yep, Living outside India unfortunately, I engaged in exhausting, > identity reinforcing behaviour. I am the only member of my family in Canada > and solitude is here to stay. For example, if I had lived in India and was > interested in Flamenco, I would never have worried about losing identity or > not transmitting it. Nothing like having a kid to shine a light on that > behaviour. So, I have finally let go of being Indian, not being Indian > enough, not speaking Telegu well, not going to the temple, not taking my > son to the temple, not reading out to him every Indian book I ever read, > etc and am happily dancing, singing lovely poems by Borges, listening to > flamenco music, watching Spanish film and generally allowing a happy > obsession to take over. YAYAYA! Krishna, samarpayami! > >
