First Steps

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that my baby has taken her first steps. Well, kind of. C has made her first attempts to make the best of Indian cuisine namely Chicken Tikka Masala. The bad news is that I will have to now make her Chicken Parmesan. Anywho, focussing on the good news. Can you imagine my joy when she brought a bowl full of juicy tender pieces of CTM that she had cooked herself ? My joy was kind of similar to the joy of a parent at the sight of his baby uttering the first word or walking the first step. Ok, not really like that of a parent but you get the idea. And even though C did not think she did a good job, I think it was all worth it. I mean there is always room for improvement but I really really respect the sentiment. I hope I can reciprocate although I think being a guy and a MCP, I should be given more chances to cheat (like getting half cooked CP and heating it at home etc). We will see about that. Hopefully, C will continue to hone her cuilinary skills and I will continue to exercise my palate.

Other things. I am rather disappointed by some of the comments made to last post. First of all, I must make it clear that I value my privacy a lot. I had never wanted to reveal what I do for a living as it is immaterial. But that particular experience was so emotionally overwhelming and so germane to the theme of this blog, I felt I had to share it. People can put on any style of malice-goggles and twist things around to make whatever point that they want to make. It does not matter.

Even more disturbing is the confession of a young Sikh guy who feels disenchanted with the turban to the point of thinking of getting rid of it. The blog was started to celebrate the Sikhi swaroop and to let people know how some of the things they say or do can hurt others. I know I can sometime sound pathetic but trust me I am not. I might be self-effacing but I do not indulge in self-pity. "Bahut Janam bichre re Madho, eh janam tumhare lekhe" (I have wasted many a lives, my Father, this one I surrender at your feet) is my guiding principle. While it hurts me how the thinking of Sikh youth is changing, I think turbaned Sikhs are strong enough to endure the change. In an earlier post, I had alluded to Robert Frost's poem A Road less taken. The path is ardous and there are bristles and thorns on the way but serving one's Father is worth it. And usually these efforts don't go waste. Believe it or not, there is still Natural justice out there.

And trust me, it is probably not that hard to find "a" wife with or without a turban. Had it been upto my parents, I would have been married at age 2 years. But I am a hopless romantic and just wanted to fall in love with somebody. Unfortunately, in my profession. there is not enough time to roam around and find someone. And there are not enough young single Sikh women in the medical field. Anyways, my story is mine alone. Regardless, my position on the loss of respect of the turban is unchanged. It will be really sad if one more brother gives in to the pressure rather than taking it as a man. Turban stands for resilience against tyranny whether it comes from Mughals or from within us.