SUPER WOMAN – Story of a Multi-Faceted Multi-Tasking Modern Woman

Are you a Super Woman? 

Are you a woman who is performing multiple roles – a wife, a mother, a career woman, a friend, and so many more? 

From my Creative Writing Archives, here is a poem I wrote long back which I feel every “super  woman”  who multitasks must read, and so must every man who has a relationship with a multifaceted multitasking modern woman.

SUPER WOMAN

Story of a Multi-Faceted Multi-Tasking Modern Woman

A Poem 

By

VIKRAM KARVE

 

Super Woman, everyone said.

Super Competent, her appreciative employers said.

Super Reliable, her impressed clients said.

Super Talented, her professional peers said.

Super Boss, her devoted subordinates said.

Super Bitch, her jealous frustrated loser colleagues said.

Super Shrewd, her business rivals said.

Super Fit, her fitness freak buddies at her gym said.

Super Sexy, her admirers said.

Super Lover, her lovers said.

Super Achiever, her teachers and professors said.

Super Parent, her children’s teachers said.

Super Friend, all her acquaintances said.

Super Daughter, her parents and in-laws said.

Super Wife, her husband said.

Super Mom, her children said 

(But secretly her children wished that their mother stayed home like their grandmother, who was always there for them)

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
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© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

     

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Written by me long back and First Posted by me Vikram Karve in this blog (my academic and creative writing journal) at 11/25/2010 11:57:00 PM at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2010/11/story-of-super-woman-and-super-mom.html

Prophecy about India by Winston Churchill

I once read a quote about India attributed to Winston Churchill. 

Maybe the quote is apocryphal and I wonder whether he really said this, but at one point of time Winston Churchill was against granting independence to India so it is possible that he probably made this statement which is attributed to him:

Power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues and freebooters. 
All Indian leaders will be of low calibre and men of straw. 
They will have sweet tongues and silly hearts. 
They will fight amongst themselves for power and India will be lost in political squabbles. 
A day would come when even air and water would be taxed.

Winston Churchill made this prophecy about India almost 70 years ago. 
I wonder whether his predictions are really coming true. 
I feel sad, helpless, as there is nothing I can do about it, but watch on haplessly. 

EMPOWERMENT EQUALS ENTRAPMENT

Dhananjay Joshi is one of those rare original thinkers I met in the Navy where “do-as-you-are-told” groupthink is the norm.

After an excellent stint in the Navy he took premature retirement and embarked on a very fulfilling second innings pursuing his passion in the realm of education.

A few days ago Dhananjay and I had an enjoyable walk in the lovely verdant green wooded park on the banks of Mula River at Wakad near Pune.

As usual, we talked about philosophy and the art of living and Dhananjay suddenly said: “Empowerment Equals Entrapment”.

Frankly, I did not understand the metaphor. So Dhananjay elaborated that though empowerment ostensibly envisages liberation and freedom, in actual fact empowerment results in entrapment.

“True empowerment means having choices,” Dhananjay said.

We discussed and this got me thinking, but to me the axiom seemed a bit hazy.

That is why I was delighted when Dhananjay emailed me an article this morning amplifying his views.

We discussed and thought it would be a good idea to post this article on my blog for everyone to read and ponder over.

So, Dear Reader, here is a Guest Post titled “Empowerment Equals Entrapment” by my talented thinker friend Dhananjay Joshi

EMPOWERMENT EQUALS ENTRAPMENT
(Empowerment = Entrapment)

Empowerment is about giving people the power to choose between alternatives.

If these alternatives are reduced or taken away, people feel disempowered.

Agreed?

Extending this logic, if someone is “empowered”, they would have more control over the choices they make.

Its 7 PM on a cold wintry night in Gurgaon.

Tens if not hundreds, of young men and women are waiting for the next overcrowded bus to come along to carry them home.

Young women with impossibly heavy backpacks struggled with men to enter a Haryana Roadways bus.

Perched precariously on the footboard they began their perilous journey home.

This scene is crushingly repeated in a stifling Mumbai local train.

This is a typical “lower-middle-income-group” setting, to which they are ordained to.

Do these young men and women have choices on where to work or the kind of work that they would like?

What if these young men and women wanted to work at home or from home?

Young men hardly have a choice to work for the home, but young women do.

The question then becomes, why don’t the young women exercise this choice?

For economic reasons perhaps.

The family needs her money to sustain its chosen lifestyle, because the man alone cannot.

That’s fine, if it keeps her happy.

But then, why have a family?

No family means less expenses.

Good question.

Do we see the signs of a trap being laid out?

On the other hand, the “higher-middle-income-group” does not have travel problems.

They speak on blue-tooth enabled smart-phones as they crawl in rush hour traffic in spanking new EMI driven cars.

Their problems are different.

The young women here have impossible deadlines to meet, networking parties to attend and early-morning flights to catch on not-so-empty bowels.

If the young men in this income group were given a choice to work at home, what would they do?

Let’s imagine a scenario.

Drive the kid to school to drop the kids.

Head to the gym for a workout.

On the way back pick-up sabzi for the bai and some beer for the bar.

Surf the net, to catch-up with USA buddies and check out the stock market.

Drive to school to pick up the kids, discuss the kids progress longer than required with his attractive nursery teacher.

An after-lunch snooze to rest those tired muscles.

Bonding time with the kid over home work, then off to the club where the kid swims, while you keep an eye over a sundowner.

Back home, the bai has left bhindi amchuri and rajma masala on the dining table.

Now just need to shower and wait for the wife.

But, are men allowed to make this choice?

Who is more empowered to make a choice?

Unless of course, you need to re-pay the loan for the fancy US business college attended or the golf-course facing apartment you bought or the status symbol car you upgraded to.

Again, the family needs her to keep up with the deadlines and the late working hours, so that the EMIs, the school, the doctor, the driver and the bai could be paid.

That’s fine if it keeps her happy.

But then, why have a family?

Good question.

The trap is sprung!

The rich and the super-rich in India have no such problems.

They own the home they live in and, already have all the trappings of life.

They invest in the family.

Harmony in the family is in the best interest of business.

The rich moms may exercise their choice to work at home or their London degrees to further their business interests.

The point is that they have a choice.

But, the myth of “empowerment” needs to be kept alive.

Businesses need a workforce.

Therefore, it is essential that a higher valence (intrinsic attractiveness) is attached to working for someone else and not if you work for yourself and your home.

It is a business need that comes at a social cost.

The singles bars in USA and Europe and the Karaoke lounges in most of Asia are overflowing with lonely ageing men and women.

If “empowerment” makes people happy, why not?

Or is it entrapment?

Empowerment = Entrapment

Do you agree?

POWER IS THE RECIPROCAL OF DESIRE - a story

POWER IS THE RECIPROCAL OF DESIRE

Tete-a-Tete 

By 

VIKRAM KARVE

This morning, while having a long tete-a-tete walk with my friend Dhananjay Joshi in the beautiful green park at Wakad on the banks of the river Mula River in Pune, we discussed various aspects on the art of living and how to adopt a philosophical approach to life. 

During our walk and talk I narrated this apocryphal story I had read long back about Emperor Alexander the Great and his encounter with the Greek Philosopher Diogenes.

My friend loved this story, especially the moral of the story “POWER IS THE RECIPROCAL OF DESIRE”

Let me share this story with you:

Alexander the Great, the Emperor of the World, had conquered all lands and seas and considered himself the “Son of a God”.

The entire humanity knelt before him in veneration and reverence.

One day early in the morning, Alexander was riding with his army through Greece. 

Suddenly he saw a man lying naked in the sand by the side of a river basking in the early morning sunlight. 

The sight of the man lying stark naked so nonchalantly in full public view made Alexander curious.

So, Alexander rode towards the naked man and sat imposingly astride his horse towering over the emaciated prostrate man.

The Emperor Alexander was shocked to observe that the naked man seemed to be totally indifferent to the distinguished visitor and appeared nonchalantly oblivious of the bountiful entourage and captivating presence and charisma of the great Emperor. 

The stranger remained prostrate and made no attempt to get up and pay obeisance to the Emperor.

In fact the prostrate naked man continued lying down and totally ignored Alexander the Great sitting majestically on his horse. 

An angry General, accompanying Emperor Alexander, shouted at the naked man, “You there, you beggar – do you know in whose presence you are…?” 

“Who is he…?” the prostrate man answered lazily, without the stir, making no move to get up. 

The astonished soldier proclaimed, “Wretched man, you are in the presence of His Exalted Highness Alexander the Great – Emperor of the World.”

“Oh,” the naked sunbather said impassively. The naked man continued to lie down. Then he casually looked up at Alexander the Great mounted imposingly on his horse and said, “I am Diogenes.”  

“Ah, so you are the eccentric philosopher Diogenes…!” Alexander exclaimed.

“That is right - I am the philosopher Diogenes,” the naked man said.

Alexander said to Diogenes, “I have always wanted to meet you – I have heard so many stories about you. Diogenes, I am impressed by your fearless conduct. I will grant you anything you wish. What do you desire…? Tell me Diogenes, what do you want...? Ask me for anything in the world and it will be yours…” 

Still lying prostrate on the sand, Diogenes looked Emperor Alexander in the eye and said to him, “Please could you move a little to the side and get out of the sunlight, because you are blocking the sun and spoiling my sunbath. That is all I want from you…” 

MORAL OF THE STORY

This story illustrates that POWER is inversely proportional to DESIRE

Diogenes could have asked for anything from Emperor Alexander - wealth, position, power, even a part of his kingdom. 

But Diogenes wanted nothing from Alexander. 

That is why even Emperor Alexander had no power over Diogenes.

You cannot have power over someone who desires nothing from you. 

Till such time you desire something from a person, that person has power over you. 

The day you desire nothing from a person, that person has no power over you.

There is also one more moral in this story.

You must try and fulfill your immediate needs and desires. 

Yes, you must give priority attention to meeting your present needs and desires which are more important than your futuristic ambitions. 

Diogenes was sunbathing. He wanted sunlight to fall on his body. 

Alexander was blocking the sunlight. 

So Diogenes told Alexander to move away to the side so that Diogenes could continue sunbathing (which was his immediate desire).

So Dear Reader, do remember the two morals of the story:

1. POWER is inversely proportional to DESIRE

2. Prioritize and try and fulfill your immediate needs and desires

Now let us discuss a bit about various Types of Desires and the Desire - Power Equation in Relationship Management

TYPES OF DESIRES 

1. Your Desires can be tangible (like money, food, sex and other material things)

or 

2. your Desires can be intangible (like love, security, recognition, respect, ego massage etc).

If you desire nothing from someone, he has no power of you. 

Conversely if you want to have power over someone you must be in a position to satisfy his desires. 

But the irony is that once you satisfy his desires permanently you may cease to have power over him. 

At your workplace, if you want a promotion (a good appraisal report) your boss has power over you.

Once you get the promotion, he may no longer be your boss (or the person writing your appraisal report) and power equations change.

In some organizations promotions are strictly by seniority and time-scale.

There is Assured Career Progression (ACP).

Appraisal Reports do not exist or, even if they do exist, they do not have any significance for promotion. 

In such cases where the boss has no say in the career progression of his juniors, the boss will not have much power on their subordinates.

This power-desire equation is true of an intangible desire like love too. 

Suppose a man is in love with a woman and wants to marry her. 

Till such time she does not reciprocate his love the woman has power over the man and can make him dance around her since his desire for her love remains unsatisfied. 

Suppose she reciprocates his love and marries him then the power equations may change since now, not only are the man's desires satisfied, but in fact the equations may even be reversed and now wife may start desiring things from her husband like money, security etc.  

In later life the husband may desire care from his wife so she once again has power over him. 

So the power versus desire relationship is a dynamic one.

For example, take the case of marriage. 

In earlier days, the husband was the breadwinner. 

The man used to earn the money and provide for his family. 

That is why a man had power over his wife and family. 

Today, women have become financially independent. 

In modern urban society, wives are increasingly “empowered”.

Emancipation and Education of women has enabled many women to work and earn a living. 

Most women are now independent and they can now provide for themselves and their families. 

In most such cases, women do not desire money from their husbands.

The power equations in marriage relationships have therefore changed and wives are more assertive and independent.

That is why they say that POWER IS THE RECIPROCAL OF DESIRE

The less you desire the more powerful you are. 

And this sense of power and independence will create a sense of happiness and self esteem in you.

So, if you want to become powerful, just control your desires.

Think about it. 

And do make it a point to observe the dynamics of desire-power equations in your workplace and personal relationships as well.

It will be quite an enjoyable and illuminating pastime from which you can learn a lot.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Did you like reading this article?
I am sure you will like all the 27 stories in my recently published book of short stories COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html
COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramwamankarve@gmail.com

      

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

 

26 JANUARY 2013

26 JANUARY 2013

Fiction Short Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE

26 January 2013.

Republic Day of India.

6:30 AM.

A cold morning.

A woman sits on a bench on the solitary platform of Girinagar Railway Station.

She looks at her watch.

Then she looks towards the Railway Track.

She has a worried expression on her face.

The Station Master comes out of his office holding two flags, one green and one red.

He sees the woman and smiles at her.

The woman gets up from the bench and asks the station master, “Is the shuttle late?”

“Yes, the shuttle has been delayed. The express train is being stopped here. The shuttle has been detained at the outer signal and will arrive here after the express train goes away.”

“Oh, My God…!!!”

“What happened?” asks the station master.

“I don’t want to be late for the Republic Day function in our school.”

“What time is the function?”

“7:30. The normal school time.”

“Oh.”

“I hope I will reach in time,” the woman says anxiously.

“I don’t think so. Normally the shuttle leaves here at 6:25 and reaches the Junction at 7. It’s 35 minutes running time. Today the express is expected to arrive at 6:45 and will be detained here for at least 5 minutes. By the time the shuttle arrives and leaves it will easily be past 7. Even if it makes up time and reaches the junction by 7:30 you still have a 10 minute walk to school. I don’t think you’ll be able to make it on time.”

“Oh, My God. I will be in trouble if I am late for the Republic Day function. It will be so humiliating,” the woman says in an anxious voice with nervousness written all over her face.

“You’ve got a first class pass, haven’t you?” the station master asks.

“Yes,” the woman says.

“Then don’t worry. You can travel by the express in the air-conditioned coach. I will tell the TTE to permit you. The express will take less than 15 minutes to reach the junction and you will be there latest by 7:10 and you can easily reach your school well before 7:30.”

“Thank you so much.”

“What ‘Thank You’? You are like my daughter. This is the least I can do for you.”

“Why is the express stopping here?” the woman asks.

“The express train is being stopped here for Colonel Ashok,” the station master says.

Suddenly the telephone rings and the station master rushes inside his office.

“The express train is being stopped here for Colonel Ashok” – those words slice through the woman’s heart like a knife slices through butter.

“So Ashok is a Colonel now. A big shot. Big enough to get the express stopped for him at Girinagar where even the fast passenger does not halt,” the woman says to herself.

Then the woman is filled with hate and regret and she says to herself bitterly: “Had it not been for the scheming bitch Menaka who mesmerized Ashok with her enticing charms and stole him away from me, today I would been Mrs. Ashok – a Colonel’s Wife, a Memsahib.”

Suddenly, the shrill whistle of the diesel engine of the express train disturbs her train of thoughts and the express train arrives on the platform.

The air-conditioned coach stops right in front of her. In the door stands Menaka, Ashok’s wife.

Menaka sees the woman and smiles at her but the woman does not return the smile.

The woman turns her face away but looks at the door of the air-conditioned coach with the corner of her eyes trying to catch a glimpse of Ashok.

The big show-off that he is, she is sure Ashok will be in his resplendent uniform strutting like a peacock.

But there is no sign of Colonel Ashok.

Instead she sees a young officer in uniform getting down from the train with Menaka and the both of them start walking towards the end of the train.

“Come on, get in fast,” the station master motions her towards the door of the air-conditioned coach. He says something to the TTE and the TTE tells her to go inside and sit on Seat No. 30.

She sits on Seat No. 30.

A family – a man, a woman and a small boy sit on the seats around her.

There is a jerk, the tug of the engine, and the train starts moving and picks up speed.

The woman looks at her watch.

6:50.

She heaves a sigh of relief.

She will be well on time for the Republic Day function.

The TTE arrives to check her pass.

Curious, the woman asks the TTE: “Why did the train stop here?”

“To detach the refrigerated van at the end of the train,” the TTE says, “the van was carrying the body of an army officer who died in action and sacrificed his life for the nation. His widowed wife was sitting right here on Seat No. 30 – the same seat where you are now sitting.”

“His name was Colonel Ashok,” the man sitting in front says, “despite losing her husband the courageous lady was so poised and calm. It is because of the sacrifice of such brave people that we can celebrate Republic Day … ”

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Did you like this story?

I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

COCKTAIL ebook

If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramwamankarve@gmail.com

      

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.