The Story of a Jhola and Conformity...

The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself

What in the earth is a Jhola you ask me...well it is a stunning bag made usually in India out of cloth with intricate patch or art work and it's usually handmade. It was a hot summer in 2004 when I was back in India, in Pune and I saw a shop selling Jholas and it was love at first sight...
I bought not one or two Jholas but five- all for the princely sum of Rs.300 (roughly 6 bucks). I had 2 bright pinks, one black, one blue and an orange...I came back home and used my Jholas just about everywhere...the yoga class, shopping, everything...and I observed the covert looks my Jhola got...and I got conscious. A week later unable to deal with the stares, I packed up  my beautiful Jholas and put them in the garage.

Seven years later, I was cleaning a garage cupboard and I found these beauties and I picked them all up and reinstated them in my closet -my current favorite is my bright pink one  and it goes with me everywhere --- sure I get looks but I like my Jhola and that seals the deal for me...How true ring the words of Dr.Seuss - Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

The past week has been uneventful - watched a couple fun movies with K2 - Cars 2 and Megamind.  We also watched a heartwarming Hindi movie - Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara - definitely worth a watch (brought home the point about living not just going on with life...because you get to do it but once) - we went on a 5 mile hike and got lost amidst the warning rattles of snakes and mostly silence...

we came upon a clear beautiful lake where there was this young puppy cavorting in the water - joyous, seizing the moment...this week life has been trying to teach us some lessons...