Tuesday, April 14, 2015

The Year That Was...

It is again that time of the year when we take stock of the last 12 months and start preparing for the year ahead. This year was eventful for me in more than one way.
I left my job after being associated with a brand for nearly five years. It was a very difficult decision but in the end it was clear that I had to move on from what was becoming a very boring job. There were, of course, other reasons to move on. I was getting extremely irritated for having to spend nine hours in office and two hours commuting when other things were climbing up the priority list. What further added to the frustration was that these nine hours were not at all productive and instead of feeling contended at the end of the day I would feel that I was wasting my time.
When I had joined this organisation, I was bubbling with excitement about the opportunity and challenge of bringing an international brand to India. It was a huge learning experience and I am thankful for the opportunity but lately a number of management changes made life unnecessarily difficult and illogical.
Second major event of the year was my surgery. This was the first time I was operated on and having a body part removed at the age of 39 years is not a nice feeling. It added a whole new perspective to my life. Before this I never really thought about mortality and other such things. Increasingly, the thought of making use of every minute, every single day, before the body turns to dust is dominating the thoughts. In retrospect, this might be another reason why I decided to let go of the job. It just didn’t make sense to carry on with something that was becoming a negative situation in life.
So I have been freelancing for the last four months of the year and it has been interesting experience. So far, so good is how I would describe it. I have written on various things, ranging from Madrasa to experience of immigrants in Delhi to digital India campaign launched by the Government some time back. The sheer range of the topics is what makes life as an independent journalist thoroughly exciting. I also ended by writing for two of the most respected publications in India: Caravan and The Hindu. Some of the stories are in pipeline for international publications as well.
What was exciting was that I was suddenly out of my comfort zone [which was interviewing telecom professionals in five-star hotels or swanky offices]. Now I was out on the streets, meeting people in dingy buildings, locating schools on the banks of river Yamuna and so on. Of course, most of these interactions were not in English but in Hindi or rather Hindustani, thus further adding new dimension to the way I think and talk.
Not just that I (along with another journalist friend) decided to apply for a fellowship program. Though we didn’t win, it was a learning experience and we hope to participate in other grants and fellowship programs going forward.
However let me say this…freelancing is not all fun. Some stories are done only for money and nothing else. They are dictated by practical and survival aspect. The trick is to maintain a balance between the stories you are dying to do and the work you just have to do. So far, I am able to do this, so am thoroughly enjoying myself.
Personally, it was a good and a satisfying year. My daughter turned 13 and parenting suddenly became very, very tough. It is no longer “please do this because I am asking you to…” but more of convincing, negotiating and letting the kid be, which becomes important. The tactics, which worked earlier, are no longer effective, which means that new parenting strategies need to evolve. The arguments, door banging and other symptoms of adolescence need to be dealt with efficiently. Sigh! The husband and I are still learning the ropes…

What lies ahead in the coming year? More writing, more interesting stories, more fun and hopefully, more moolah…. Well I am planning many new things in the coming year so watch this space for more. :)

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