When life throws lemons, we make lemonade. That’s the guiding principle of my life. Making the best of the opportunities has allowed me to work and experience life to the best. An enterprising blogger, a technophobic online shop owner, an aspiring baker, an enthusiastic outdoors person, a hodophile, and an orophile, at heart. I’m all this and more.
My love for the written word started very early in life. From frequenting the dusty aisles of the school library to scavenging through the piles in the old bookstores, books had a way of calling out to me. My grandfather was my inspiration. My earliest memories are of sitting with him in the backyard and him, either reading out some book or narrating some mythological stories. He would feed us with a constant supply of old hardbound, moth-ridden copies of novels and classics, and even poetry, stored in their garage. Writing was a natural progression.
Encouraged by my grandfather, once again, I started writing articles and journals. I started maintaining a diary. While reading expanded my horizons, writing became the voice inside my head. I would record my experiences, travels and adventures (some crazy enough that it would make for good fiction!). I even wrote about my trials and tribulations as a young, struggling mother which, I feel, was the best way to get the desperation and frustration out of my system. Then thanks to the internet, blogging happened. My friends literally made me start my own blog at gunpoint! I wrote for myself all these years and rarely shared the notes with anyone. So writing and having it out there has been a massive step for me.
While books are my go-to, it’s teaching that I’m passionate about. Having worked in different sectors, from the defence forces to brushes with the corporate, I realised that what I enjoyed most, what was most fulfilling was teaching the little ones. Volunteering at NGOs, working as a substitute to conducting classes, teaching was what I enjoyed the most. I think I evolved as a teacher as my kids grew up. All those fun play-dates, costume parties, and story-telling sessions helped me to get creative and discover innovative ways of keeping my little ‘busybody audience’ interested and engaged. It’s this passion which motivated me to start this new venture (Crazy Wise Owl Shop). Keeping my fingers crossed!
The response until now for the blogs has been positive and that’s kept me going. Your feedback would be the report card as I trudge along. Feel free to post your comments. That way we can share our ideas. So, looking forward to hearing from you!
Have a great day!