A little bit about me.

I'll talk about resumes and cover letters and careers next week, but today I'll tell you a few things about myself :

A few things, about me that you may or may not know, in no particular order. I'd invite some of you to come up with a list of your own, if you want!

1) There are very few things am actually good at. Am very average at most things, and really good at about three things. Those are also the things I care most about getting better at.

2) Am a complete waterbaby. Whenever I can, I spend hours in the swimming pool, or in a river, or in the ocean. I have a scuba diving certification and am trained to save lives. I swam competitively in high school, and I try to maintain fitness levels to compete when I can.

3) I spent almost two decades learning Indian Classical Music. Music continues to be one of my life's greatest passions. This is an area where I want to continue learning and upping my skills.

4) Writing, research and editing- This is the stuff that everyone knows about, and what I will continue to do for the rest of my life. I love word games and understanding etymology. Am always curious about loan words, and try to read as much as I can. If I am too busy, I schedule time to read.

5) I really, really, really like tea. I was quite a puritan to begin with, but I've started drinking a lot of infusions and tisanes of late, too.

6) Am very interested in art and urban spaces. I have no formal training in the former and have just read and studied widely about it, but for the latter, having a social science background has helped tremendously.

7) I care very much about polity, politics and policy. These days, I prefer to have my heated discussions face-to-face, instead of on social media.

8) Even in the worst situations, I would like to hold on to hope, to believe that things will get better. But I am also someone who is as realistic as I am idealistic. It might seem like a contradiction, but human beings are complex, so I am able to be creative and analytical, and practical and idealistic at the same time. It's what allows me to realize my offbeat (and often hairbrained ideas), and implement them.

9) I care very much about personal growth, and I also care about contributing to whatever community I am a part of. I measure my contributions through the scale of my impact.

10) Material gifts don't mean much to me, but if you want to give me flowers, I'd rather you give me fruits. ( Mangoes in mango season and strawberries in winter.) If you insist on giving me flowers, please give me sunflowers or gerberas. I don't like roses

11) I care very much about freedom. Individual freedoms as well as collective freedoms. All the pain and anger and sadness I feel stems from insecure people's need to control women, minorities, and anyone who they can take advantage of because of skewed power dynamics.

In case of skewed power dynamics, I believe that it is incumbent that the person that wields more power, should show more grace. Whether that is caste, class, gender, race, or even something as simple as hierarchy in the workplace. In an ideal scenario, these power dynamics will someday dissipate.

12) Duplicitous behaviour unsettles and unnerves me. I've gotten better at dealing with such folx over time, but if I notice a pattern, I maintain distance.

13) I rarely express my happiness. People close to me know that my reactions are hardly ever euphoric. That's only because I am quite shy. If you pay enough attention, if you mean a lot to me, I will show you how much through my actions, and how I treat you. I don't express my affection through words, which is ironic given that I make a living through words.

14) Words of encouragement or harsh critique does very little for me. Neither praise nor criticism rattles me. When I was younger, I was instantly mesmerized by edgy, charismatic and eloquent folx. But these days, my favourite people are quiet, who draw little or no attention to themselves, but who are steadfast and consistent. Those are the qualities I look for when I engage with someone.

15) I am beginning to feel like this is Aglet Ink Chapter 2. Although I am 34, I already have 14 years of work experience. I've experienced some wonderful things and some terrible things that have left a few scars. But I've learnt that pain-whether real or imagined-is always pain. And that people's feelings are valid. These days, I allow myself to feel all of my feelings, instead of not dealing with them.

16) I don't consider myself better or worse than anyone else. This is not humility- it's self awareness. I never look at others to see what they are up to. I want to be a better me tomorrow. And those metrics are defined by me. The only person whose expectations I need to live upto, are those of my own.

Have a great week, everyone!