Me, the Bread Winner

This post is for IHM’s blog.

It was one of those days back in college when we were tired of classes and wanted a free period. So the lecturer suggested we could have a discussion on “Working Moms” instead of a complete free period. Many girls (I studied in an all girls’ college) said that women worked to share the financial burden of the family, create an identity for oneself, and so on.

I believe that every person can mould one’s life according to his or her own choice. So I believe a woman can choose to work or stay at home. Remember the movie Mona Lisa Smile?

As a working woman I do see many advantages of being one. Can’t say much about Stay at Home Moms because I am a working mom and the daughter of a working mom. But as a mom of a one year old I do understand separation anxiety. I do hope it will change soon.

From a pessimistic point of view, anything can happen to the marriage or your loved ones. Many, very rich women are left with nothing when they are divorced or widowed.

But as an optimist I do not want to think too far on those lines. At one time in my life I thought by working towards a career I was creating an identity for myself. After almost eight years of work experience I want to believe that there is more to me than just my career. My profession is just one dimension of me.

So if I was financially secure and if it is not about my identity, why would I want to continue working?

I want to use my God given faculties and talents to the fullest. Why not create a career out of it? Money does give one a sense of security. It may be a fake sense of security but it works to an extent.

Until I started working, the kind of people I interacted with was very uniform. We all came from the same economic and social strata. My work made me realize that it takes all kinds to make the world. Not to forget the various personalities. I would not have got this exposure if I were transplanted from my parents’ home to my in-laws’ by means of marriage assuming I was not working and was married into a similar protective family as mine. With limited interaction with people I would not have been as tolerant as I am of many things. I really would not have known “the world”.

Without work buddies my friends circle would have been very dependent on my hubby’s friends and their spouses. Boring. Ahh ..how can I bitch about hubby with them ;). Just kidding, may be not :D

May be there are other ways to showcase your stuff, be confident, and get better exposure to people. But this is the best way I know.

Image courtesy-http://www.mommyandmyra.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/ist2_7810015-computer-savvy.jpg