March is called women's history month, where profiles of inspirational women from astronauts to writers and artists to suffragists are shared. Following that I wanted to create my own list of women in my world who have never failed to inspire me and have molded my thoughts and dreams and aspirations.
#1. May-Kitty
She may not be a human girl, but that doesn't make her less inspiring. I have said this before and I'll emphasize it here again that if more girls were like her, the term 'violence against women' would become obsolete within a week. The power puff girl in sub compact size shows me everyday, at all times how size does NOT matter while ruling her world. The round face, perked up ears and spiky tail are always brimming with confidence and with the timely nips and whacks she shows what "girl power" is like.
#2. Marie Curie
As a girl with a background in sci-tech and a love of physics, I grew up admiring Dr. Curie as a shining X-chromosome in the male dominated field. Besides breaking all sorts of stereotypes, she showed how you can truly have a successful career, a happy marriage and two well bred daughters. When people try to tell me that non-working mothers can bring up better kids, I just want to ask them - "have you heard of Dr. Curie?"
#3. Ashapurna Devi
On one side are our dreams and aspirations and on the other side are our roots. While most other women role models are driving me towards my goal, this lady showed me where I came from. She took me to those dark women's quarters of Bengal where the light of education was banned from entering. that's where her writings sprouted from. Her female characters came from common families but they rebelled against the stagnation. They wanted education for girls, a say in planning the family, a clean and hygienic household and to live the life of a decent human being. Ashapurna Devi makes me grateful for what I have. I won't ever take for granted my independence.
#4. Melinda Gates
There are two people whom I follow on Facebook. One is Mark Zuckerberg and the other, Melinda Gates. There are many women all over the world who are just the "wives of rich men". Mrs. Gates could have easily been one of them. However, the computer science graduate and former Microsoft employee decided to take on facing the problems of the world. When I saw that even as a Catholic, she is evangelizing family planning in the poor countries, I realized that she is one of the very few people who don't let religious texts or social norms cloud their free thinking spirit and so I admired her even more.
#5. Marissa Mayer
You can say she is a dictator or that she is a horrible mom because she chose to take only two weeks of maternity leave, but you'll have to admit that there are not many women like her. With a great academic career leading to the position of CEO in a high tech company she is definitely the role model of many young girls all over the world. We know what immense personality, along with hard work and a strong technical foundation is needed to go to where she is currently at. I hope more girls will choose to take up STEM majors after seeing her.
#6. Julia Child and Leela Majumder
I put them together because both these ladies have taught me the things needed to make the house a home. This is the thing I like most in being a woman myself, that we can balance both work and home and the dream of creating a nice and cozy home is not less that achieving a high career. They made me realize that you don't need to be a housewife in order to be a home-maker. Generally, one who is good at work is good at work of all kinds - both in and out of the house!
#7. Rina-di
When I first saw her in 1996, she was just one hair dresser at one of the innumerable hair salons of Calcutta. I didn't notice it, but later my mom said that she felt sorry for the girl as "she is expecting and was on her feet all day." I regularly went to her for my hair cuts till 2007 and still go when I visit home, but her change has been inspiring. Extremely professional and well dressed (which is really great for a suburban girl from a low income family), she has always been a smart lady who knows her job well. She left her job at the salon as they treated her bad and went on to start her own salon. Earlier this year, my sister found out that Rina-di has bought out the salon where she initially worked because they were not doing well after she left. Now she and her husband are managing both the hair salons. Isn't that an inspiring story?
#8. The Soldier Mom
One of the best things about being an extrovert is that you get to talk to a lot of people and in turn, know them. At Hawaii, when I was learning how to make a Lei (flower garland) I was chatting with the other women in the class. Right next to me sat a soldier mom. She came on this vacation on her two week leave from the middle east where she is deployed. I saw her little three year old girl and her husband (who is a civilian) and asked her how was life at where she is deployed. "It could be much worse. I don't have anything to complain", she replied smilingly. I tried to fathom her sacrifice - not just her life, but all the little things that matter to a mother - but I failed. I just thanked her "for keeping us safe" and wish for her safe return after four more months at the front.
#9. My mom
Nothing would have materialized without this particular lady. She has been my most favorite teacher ever who literally taught me everything that I so far know (except computer programming). Those who say that you learn the most by imitating your parents have been totally correct in this case. I saw her read books everyday, I heard her discussing books, movies and current affairs with my dad, I saw her neatly mending old clothes before donating them to charity, I found her admiring and playing with stray puppies. And during all this time she has silently inculcated those values in me. Those ones which embarrass me if I am late in returning a library book, which make me take off my neon colored nail polish before going to work and that make my ears hurt when I hear a wrong English pronunciation. She would go to an international gathering of scholars one evening, her petite frame dressed in a nice silk saree with the same ease as she'd be chopping vegetables the next morning sitting in our kitchen, her everyday wear cotton saree tucked in a funny way and her hair tied in little pig-tails. She has nicely blended the qualities of a former girl scout and a well read University professor and has passed those on to me as much as possible.
#10. Myself
I had to admit it, I do inspire and cherish myself. Everything would have fallen apart if I couldn't do that. I like myself the way I am and I do hope that I will be able to continue that all my life. I cherish my enthusiasm and my love for varied things that keep both my left and right brain activated. I am very much biased towards working women, because I think everyone needs to be independent. I believe that the way the world will see me does depend on what my image for myself is and that I myself have the key on how I want everyone to treat me. If I can't keep myself happy, then I can't depend on someone else to make me so. To sum myself up in one line, the motto of my life should have been - "live free, or die".
#1. May-Kitty
She may not be a human girl, but that doesn't make her less inspiring. I have said this before and I'll emphasize it here again that if more girls were like her, the term 'violence against women' would become obsolete within a week. The power puff girl in sub compact size shows me everyday, at all times how size does NOT matter while ruling her world. The round face, perked up ears and spiky tail are always brimming with confidence and with the timely nips and whacks she shows what "girl power" is like.
#2. Marie Curie
As a girl with a background in sci-tech and a love of physics, I grew up admiring Dr. Curie as a shining X-chromosome in the male dominated field. Besides breaking all sorts of stereotypes, she showed how you can truly have a successful career, a happy marriage and two well bred daughters. When people try to tell me that non-working mothers can bring up better kids, I just want to ask them - "have you heard of Dr. Curie?"
#3. Ashapurna Devi
On one side are our dreams and aspirations and on the other side are our roots. While most other women role models are driving me towards my goal, this lady showed me where I came from. She took me to those dark women's quarters of Bengal where the light of education was banned from entering. that's where her writings sprouted from. Her female characters came from common families but they rebelled against the stagnation. They wanted education for girls, a say in planning the family, a clean and hygienic household and to live the life of a decent human being. Ashapurna Devi makes me grateful for what I have. I won't ever take for granted my independence.
#4. Melinda Gates
There are two people whom I follow on Facebook. One is Mark Zuckerberg and the other, Melinda Gates. There are many women all over the world who are just the "wives of rich men". Mrs. Gates could have easily been one of them. However, the computer science graduate and former Microsoft employee decided to take on facing the problems of the world. When I saw that even as a Catholic, she is evangelizing family planning in the poor countries, I realized that she is one of the very few people who don't let religious texts or social norms cloud their free thinking spirit and so I admired her even more.
#5. Marissa Mayer
You can say she is a dictator or that she is a horrible mom because she chose to take only two weeks of maternity leave, but you'll have to admit that there are not many women like her. With a great academic career leading to the position of CEO in a high tech company she is definitely the role model of many young girls all over the world. We know what immense personality, along with hard work and a strong technical foundation is needed to go to where she is currently at. I hope more girls will choose to take up STEM majors after seeing her.
#6. Julia Child and Leela Majumder
I put them together because both these ladies have taught me the things needed to make the house a home. This is the thing I like most in being a woman myself, that we can balance both work and home and the dream of creating a nice and cozy home is not less that achieving a high career. They made me realize that you don't need to be a housewife in order to be a home-maker. Generally, one who is good at work is good at work of all kinds - both in and out of the house!
#7. Rina-di
When I first saw her in 1996, she was just one hair dresser at one of the innumerable hair salons of Calcutta. I didn't notice it, but later my mom said that she felt sorry for the girl as "she is expecting and was on her feet all day." I regularly went to her for my hair cuts till 2007 and still go when I visit home, but her change has been inspiring. Extremely professional and well dressed (which is really great for a suburban girl from a low income family), she has always been a smart lady who knows her job well. She left her job at the salon as they treated her bad and went on to start her own salon. Earlier this year, my sister found out that Rina-di has bought out the salon where she initially worked because they were not doing well after she left. Now she and her husband are managing both the hair salons. Isn't that an inspiring story?
#8. The Soldier Mom
One of the best things about being an extrovert is that you get to talk to a lot of people and in turn, know them. At Hawaii, when I was learning how to make a Lei (flower garland) I was chatting with the other women in the class. Right next to me sat a soldier mom. She came on this vacation on her two week leave from the middle east where she is deployed. I saw her little three year old girl and her husband (who is a civilian) and asked her how was life at where she is deployed. "It could be much worse. I don't have anything to complain", she replied smilingly. I tried to fathom her sacrifice - not just her life, but all the little things that matter to a mother - but I failed. I just thanked her "for keeping us safe" and wish for her safe return after four more months at the front.
#9. My mom
Nothing would have materialized without this particular lady. She has been my most favorite teacher ever who literally taught me everything that I so far know (except computer programming). Those who say that you learn the most by imitating your parents have been totally correct in this case. I saw her read books everyday, I heard her discussing books, movies and current affairs with my dad, I saw her neatly mending old clothes before donating them to charity, I found her admiring and playing with stray puppies. And during all this time she has silently inculcated those values in me. Those ones which embarrass me if I am late in returning a library book, which make me take off my neon colored nail polish before going to work and that make my ears hurt when I hear a wrong English pronunciation. She would go to an international gathering of scholars one evening, her petite frame dressed in a nice silk saree with the same ease as she'd be chopping vegetables the next morning sitting in our kitchen, her everyday wear cotton saree tucked in a funny way and her hair tied in little pig-tails. She has nicely blended the qualities of a former girl scout and a well read University professor and has passed those on to me as much as possible.
#10. Myself
I had to admit it, I do inspire and cherish myself. Everything would have fallen apart if I couldn't do that. I like myself the way I am and I do hope that I will be able to continue that all my life. I cherish my enthusiasm and my love for varied things that keep both my left and right brain activated. I am very much biased towards working women, because I think everyone needs to be independent. I believe that the way the world will see me does depend on what my image for myself is and that I myself have the key on how I want everyone to treat me. If I can't keep myself happy, then I can't depend on someone else to make me so. To sum myself up in one line, the motto of my life should have been - "live free, or die".
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