I got drifted with the flow........

When I was younger, I was full of dreams…..crazy dreams. .I wanted to do something really great, something like start a school and run it successfully, or start a toy factory and manufacture lots of innovate toys, or start a publishing house….etc, etc..

When I went to live with my brother’s family in Spain, I thought it is a great city to build my dreams. The reality knocked my head when I realized that wishes and talent are not enough to fulfill any dream. Money and luck play a very important role in people’s life. Money builds money and money is power. Language in a foreign land is the first barrier to any progress and then there are visas and work permits and third is the location where you stay (my brother stays far away from the city), all three factors wasted my time and chained my dreams.My mom was a heart patient, my brother had three kids and I spent next ten years looking after the family and helping my brother in his retail store.

Six years ago I came to Mumbai for a holiday and then decided not to go back. I got interested in working for mentally challenged children and started helping my friend with her school. My friend had great faith in me and I would not let her down. With my writing skills and my contacts, I was able to raise the money for the school. We started the program of ‘Walk with me and be my friend’ and raised money for expansion of the school by one floor and started a vocational program for mentally challenged. Money kept flowing. During the last six years that I have been with the school, we have acquired two school buses, have 55 children under sponsorship scheme, have sheltered workshops and we are in the process of building a residential home for mentally challenged.

I am not taking credit for anything, (most of the important work in the school is done by my friend and her staff) but I feel that this is what is destined for me. I am the coordinator and committee member of the school and a great chunk of money passes through my hands, month after month.

I got introduced to Ryze through a friend. I accepted her invitation just to be polite (I thought it was one of those scam mails) She insisted that I join some networks on Ryze and I got interested in ‘Caferati-the writer’s group’. I attended their read-meets to see the face behind those writings and I am very happy to be the part of that group, they have helped me polish my work and I look forward to those read-meets. I saw S&C on Ryze but was reluctant to join at first because I felt that I did not qualify for that standard of writing and was afraid of making a fool of myself. I continued to post on Caferati and saw so many of my friends on S&C and then one day I gathered my courage and decided to plunge myself into this group.

S&C is the great place to be and that I realized that when I met the moderator of the group in Mumbai during her last visit from US. Her honest comments on my work was very encouraging. I did get inferiority complex (sometimes) when I saw so much talent at the forums but I do feel proud to be the part of these group and I have learnt a lot. I enjoy the weekly themes and the feedbacks that follow.

I am still counting my blessings……