Listen to this conversation.
An RTO office where a lady is seeking the renewal of her
driving license.
The officer at the driving license counter asked the lady:
"What is your occupation?"
The woman seemed to be puzzled. So the officer refined his
query and said: "Ma'am, are you employed? Or do you have your own business?
..."
"Oh yes!' The woman replied, "I do have a
full-time occupation. I am a mother!"
The officer rolled
his eyes: "We don't have 'mother' as an option in occupation. I'll write
it down as 'housewife'. That takes care of all questions."
This had happened long ago, and was forgotten. Years later,
when the same woman went to get license
renewed again. The public relations officer was a somewhat pompous woman.
"Your occupation?" she asked in a rather
authoritative tone.
She thought a moment
and replied: "I am a researcher in the field of child development,
nutrition and inter-personal relationships."
The lady officer
stared at her in amazement.
She calmly repeated her
statement and Officer wrote it down verbatim. Then, unable to conceal her
curiosity, she politely asked "What exactly do you do in your profession,
ma'am?"
Having successfully described her occupation very calmly and
confidently she felt elated and replied: "My research projects have been
going on for a number of years ( mothers NEVER retire).
My research is
conducted in the laboratory as well as in the field.
I have two bosses (one is god and the other is my entire
family).
I have received two honors in this field. (a son and a
daughter)
My topic is considered to be the most difficult part of
sociology.
(all moms will agree).
I have to work more than 14 hours every day. Sometimes even
24 hours are not enough and the challenges are tougher than many other
professions. My compensation is in terms of mental satisfaction rather than
money."
The officer was thoroughly impressed. After completing the
licensing formalities, she came to the door to see her off.
This new viewpoint
about her occupation made her feel much better on her way back home.
She was welcomed by her
5-year-old research assistant at the door. Her new project (my 6-month old
baby) was energetically practicing her 'music'.
She had earned a small victory over the governmental red
tape today. She was no longer merely 'a mother '. Instead a highly placed
functionary in a service vital to mankind - motherhood!
'Mother ' - isn't it a great title? Fit to be added to the
nameplate on the door?
By this standard, grandmothers deserve to be called senior
research officers, and great- grandmothers qualify as 'research directors '.
Aunts and other ladies of that age group can be called 'research facilitators'!
അഭിപ്രായങ്ങളൊന്നുമില്ല:
ഒരു അഭിപ്രായം പോസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യൂ