Saturday, February 23, 2008

All a matter of perspective!



It's been one of those days where I’ve locked myself into the room after having performed a series of exemplary acts...I’ve rescued my towels from the dustbin (courtesy an absentminded son) saved my lights from being broken by a ball and myself from seeing stars by being socked by it, screamed my lungs out, managed to finish my editing work dead on the line, got dinner on the table and still been alive at the end of it all...

Grrrr...its no fun being a gal in all guy household...I've been brought up with two other gals(my sisters)and life was cool...And then I marry a guy who ironically has only brothers(and three of them!!!)So far so good...minor skirmishes...all forgiven in the bliss of wedded life...

Many years and two boys later...life is a medley...and I’m still finding my way. I am a woman literally in a man’s world. I think I’ve learnt to look at my roles from a different perspective. I wear many mantles and every day is a rollercoaster of emotions. A bird’s eye view …

• They go the kitchen and holler out for me as if the sky is falling down…I rush there only be asked where the sugar tin/cookies are? Huh??????? So am i the organization expert? This where perspective comes into the picture. i just perceive things faster...

• It’s no easy task to decide nutrtious meals for the day, trying to suit three hungry stomachs for there will always be one unhappy soul not liking the preparation. I’m nowhere in the picture of course! I’ll be delighted if the food does vanish without threats, bribes or tantrums. So does that make me a food management expert? a nutritionist or a cook? sigh..don't tell me, it's perspective...

• I trip over Lego pieces and supermen and the ghastly faces they call masks, only to be greeted with war cries of murder. So I have to pacify two angry boys with concocted stories of why I was rushing to the toilet, as if my life depended on it. That strikes too close to home and I’ve convinced them it was worth trampling upon their toys. Lo! Behold! I’m a crisis management expert.

• Cricket and football are the bane of my life and one day I may just sue the creator of the games. On second thoughts, I may be lynched by the cricket crazy fans before i even think of doing that, so it is time for subtle tactics. I’ve also noticed it’s a brilliant time to ask for something which you’ve wanted because the hubby is so engrossed he‘s going to nod whatever you say or do, even if you were to say you’re umm..test driving his precious car!!! So trust me to recognize an opportunity and turn it to my advantage!

• It needs great skills to involve every member of the house into tasks they don’t enjoy, without them realizing that they are doing it. It requires the right blend of firmness, nonchalance and voice power. Of course when nothing goes, an incentive works fine, just fine. That makes me a human resource management expert or a plain nag. see, again a matter of perception!

• Saying the right things at the right time, without hurting anybody’s feelings gets my diplomacy skills to the fore. How else will you answer the plaintive complaint “You love him more than me. You hate me”? He gets to hear how much more I would have loved him if I hated him, so that he wouldn’t feel hated. Got it, no? Neither did I? But surprisingly it made sense to him. Confuse the issues so that he does not realize whether he had a good thing or he missed one! That’s a diplomat at work.

not to mention the tactics employed to maintain bonding between one belligerent adult, a rebellious preteen and a hyperactive 5 yr-old... well, whom am i kidding!

But the icing on the cake is, after all the screaming, ranting and raving done, I still get the ‘You’re cool/you're beautiful' badge at the end of the day. So every day is my second chance to get it right and get that badge, (assuming of course that i want it everyday).... It is the best incentive I get to carry on for yet another day of an imperfect mother and an almost perfect wife!!!

Ah well, it IS after all, a matter of the right perspectivemine!!

For the recordno feelings were hurt in the posting of this thought, except mine!!

P.s...gals, please feel free to add to the roles above...I'm sure you agree, i've just scraped the iceberg...

P.p.s..It also appears that my boys are the smart ones, having figured out how to manipulate me emotionally!...sigh
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this just fit in very well with the writer's island prompts...

20 comments:

UL said...

you go girl, you are doing great so far...

paisley said...

well i am thinking if you can do all of that and still have time to write about it... you deserve an award... and academy award... this was a delight to read...

Prats said...

lol....so they are...the kids and the bigger kid, sure know how to handle their best woman..

Keshi said...

fantastic!

Keshi.

Madhumita said...

Sounds to me like you're the CEO of your household while husband and kids merely in thed department heads category :) and would you really want it any other way? I mean think of the chaos if someone else from your family was running that ship!

Anonymous said...

supermom.. no wait..superwoman!

Romila said...

Handling a big baby and two small babies is by no means a mean feat.

Go ahead! Get hold of those badges everyday.

ren powell said...

Well, gee, looking at it in that perspective, I don't even aim for that much!

Rambler said...

I have to say, excellent use of the prompt :)

"It needs great skills to involve every member of the house into tasks they don’t enjoy, without them realizing that they are doing it. It requires the right blend of firmness, nonchalance and voice power. Of course when nothing goes, an incentive works fine, just fine. That makes me a human resource management expert or a plain nag. see, again a matter of perception!"

Just this thought, made me realize all things my mom has got me to do.. I thought I was the one who used to trick her :D

Jaya said...

You rock!

rayshma said...

hail superwoman! :)

Preethi said...

lovely take on the prompt.. by the way join the club I am heading there too.. with 2 of the male species in my household now.. and sometimes my dad chips in too.. albeit over the phone now.. now you know why I dread to have another kid...
we women have a rough deal don't we?

Sumana said...

Wow TA. Perfectly well written. Ahh the diplomat so apt, it happens all the time.

Anonymous said...

I'm exhausted from just reading that!

Why don't you just sit down and put your feet up for half an hour.

On second thoughts make it 5 minutes - still things to be done!

anthonynorth said...

What a household. Situation normal :-)

aMus said...

@ keith...

i get exhausted just thinking about how you find the time for those wonderful posts of yours...:)

as for getting rest, why do you think i send them to school?

@ sumana...
hey thanks...


@ preethi...

Aw come on...u may have a daughter...that would even out the equation...? Now that's no excuse!!!see, out of your whole commment only this caught my eye! :D

@ rayshma...

I'm no superwoman...remember? :)

aMus said...

@ jen...
LOL...I knew you would feel the same... just a touch of humor to what we do everyday...

@ rambler...
hey thanks...parenting teaches you tricks you thought you never knew...

@ ren.kat
:)...all in a day's work!

@ romila...
heh..heh...sometimes the big baby is the worst of the lot...esp when it comes to searching for things...:D

@ joy...
i'm te rock in their lives.....i keep them grounded...so true!! :)

@ dailyrium...
nah!!! just smart!

@ madhumita...
am i really the head now? I wonder...

Keshi...
hey keshi...:)

@ prats...
i know..aren't they smart!!! :(

@ paisley...academy award?..now that's a giant perspective...besides the fact that i really can't act!!

@ UL...

hey..thanks for the vote ...

btw.. your entry on second chance was riveting!!!

Sairekha said...

**that makes me a human resource management expert or a plain nag. see, again a matter of perception!**

Hehhe.. I understand! I love your love-hate logic... its kinda cute:)

You didnt mention nurse (I should know!) and mediator!! Don't you so barge in when those two are at loggerheads??:)

aMus said...

@ ziah...

just writing that down tired me out..u go ahead, fill in the rest..
and two...make it three!!

Guruprasad said...

loved this... i think all women are designed to be superwomen. while we guys were designed to laze around and have a sacked out existence in general :P

don't blame me, blame the designer.... ;D