A staunch believer in the Butterfly Effect - that’s me!
“Lock up your libraries if you like, but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind”. These gutsy words by the fiery feminist Virginia Woolf squarely defines me. I am bound by familial obligations and societal norms but my mind is free to dream of a utopian tomorrow. My students, family and friends are a part of this endeavor and sounding boards of my positive pursuits.
At the very outset, I would like to mention here that I have been a freelance tutor for the last two decades. My students saw me more as a mentor than a teacher, and were always eager to gulp in ‘supra’ lessons on the environment, hunger, and other raging issues. Though their parents were sometimes not too pleased as the classes rolled over the usual one and a half hours to two, the pupils were pleased beyond measure which were reflected in their beatific smiles as they left my classroom.
Interestingly, a woman dons several hats, and I am no exception. If every hat has to be described exhaustively, this piece would have to be categorized as a monograph; ergo, the positive use of social media and the socio-cultural and environmental leanings which define me, are some attributes of my character which I would like to share with you.
As a matter of fact, spreading positivity is my passion. I wish that everyone does the same, and what better tool to do this than social media! The term ‘social’ is a positive one, and nothing but positivity should be shared. My blog posts and the instant messaging service posts which I subscribe to, are ample proof of the same.
“Everpositive” is what my blog is named, and rightly so. It contains non-didactic articles and poems which makes one feel good about themselves. They also suggest altruistic baby steps which readers can take in order to make our flora and fauna thrive. These positive chunks are loved by my family and friends, and consequently most of these pieces found their place in newspapers and magazines in India. The language is deliberately kept lucid as I believe that knowledge disseminated should not hit a blank wall due to its complex form, but ought to be easy to partake of by the majority, who if they decide to change for the better, can help build a wonderful world.
Moving ahead on other social media activities, Whatsapp is another conduit for me to spread cheer. I ardently choose to share only positive posts, and refrain from the negative ones. Mere reading of negative content and not being able to do anything about it drains vital energy, and if we can try to overshadow negativity by some constructive content, why not! My Status Posts contain motivating quotes only, sometimes witty humor, and my Whatsapp community always look forward to these Status messages everyday. They sometimes admonish me if I don’t post regularly. Social media is thriving and let us exploit these networks to their fullest potential.
Furthermore, I am quite proactive about my humanistic and environmental leanings. I try to do my one-eight billionth(eight billion is the approximate current world population) bit for these
issues. Food and water wastage drive me crazy and I must confess that my family and close friends get mad at me when I fervently try to save a tumbler full of water or hate seeing anyone wasting a morsel. I have seen women in Indian villages travel long distances to fetch pails of water, and children crying with hunger, and these glimpses have had a profound effect on my character and made me a crazy conservationist of food and water.
In addition, environmental issues like global warming and pollution are trying to make me a self-sustainable person. I reuse plastic as much as I can, and avoid buying plastic items. The reusing of cola bottles and milk pitchers don’t go down with my students and family as they feel that I am being parsimonious. But hey! My life! My rules! Jokes aside, I believe strongly in the Butterfly Effect, wherein a small change can cause a massive effect somewhere else. So why not believe in this sibylline phenomenon and make our Blue Planet greener, cleaner, and cooler?
The deep regard for Mother Earth and all her children of any dispensation without any discrimination whatsoever, at the same time treading a path of discovery for gently leading our world to more insights, ultimately for the benefit for generations to come, who must be the unborn stakeholders of all our endeavors, is what sums me up as a person, and my professors at Idaho State University are beacons for this exciting journey ahead.
