Over the past five years, ‘disabled’ has become one of the hyphens in my identity. This is especially true at workplaces, where my disability has a direct impact on how I engage in professional spaces. As someone with a largely “invisible” disability, most people cannot tell that I am disabled. I walk around without my… Continue reading Disabled, and…
“I still hear the sound in my ears of a great many people talking or making a noise. It is almost unbearable in the long run.” – Vincent van Gogh’s Letter 741, Letter to Theo (February 1889) When M told me that the van Gogh immersive experience was on during my birthday, sirens went off… Continue reading The Sound of Silence
I was recently asked to speak at a conference on the work that an organisation I’m associated with is doing. The theme was ‘How effective communication strategies are needed to combat air pollution’ and I talked about the inclusion of marginalised voices in these spaces. It was a big deal for me because I’m not… Continue reading Disabled people don’t owe you an explanation
There’s an adage about how we learn who we truly are when faced with difficulty. Of course, there is truth in this, but we don’t really talk about the flip side; how we face a difficulty is determined by where we are in our lives at that point. This past year, I’ve often wondered about… Continue reading Mirrors, Meniere’s, Me…
It is 22:50 and I just found out that today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. I like to believe that I've been an ally, and studying in a school that had students who were neurodiverse helped. But, I'm certain that I've made many mistakes along the way - been ignorant, offended someone… Continue reading International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Okay, so maybe some amount of self-pity is inevitable. I’ve tried resisting it. In the initial days of experiencing this chronic disorder, I was overwhelmed by fear and anxiety of not knowing what was going on with my body; of losing control and truly wondering if I was dying. The effort it took to get… Continue reading Self-pity
I don’t know where to start. I’ve wanted to write this piece for a while, but I kept waiting for ‘it’ to end; for closure, so I could tell you what happens at last. But, that’s not happening any time soon, so I guess I’ll start at the very beginning. (A very good place to… Continue reading That drunk, woozy feeling
‘Grief comes in waves’ is a phrase so common that most of us believe that grieving is synonymous with the sea. We imagine grief hitting us and washing over us without mercy, while our arms and legs flail, trying to escape to the surface and breathe. Sometimes, we’re too tired to struggle. We just wait… Continue reading Didion, magical thinking, and the metaphors of grief
As we said our second round of ‘Om’s, my ever distracted mind was reminded of a conversation Amma had with us yesterday. She talked about a Vedic mantra ‘Om Purnamadah Purnamidam’ which roughly translates into “That is whole; this is whole; From that whole this whole came; From that whole, this whole removed, what remains… Continue reading Searching for Harmony
Normally, the words ‘Indian tribes’ bring forth a series of fixed images in our minds, fed by mainstream cinema: Men and women working in wild jungles, video clips of them dancing for tourists who are eager to circulate these clips and photos over the Internet. While intrigued, and perhaps sympathetic, most of us are content… Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: White as Milk and Rice
THE GLASS ELEVATOR 