My Bookclub journey

 

 

I watched the movie Bookclub a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The movie follows the lives of four women who have been meeting for forty years as book club members, bonding over the books they read and becoming friends.

When they read Fifty Shades of Grey, they begin to view their lives from different perspectives.

Well, this is not a review of the movie but about my foray into the world of book clubs.

A friend recently started a book club but has slightly tweaked its format. I was quite reluctant to join at first because I don’t consider myself a serious reader, and I'm trying to read more. I declined the invitation but, on second thought decided to dive in, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The tweaked version of the book club saw us not reading and discussing a single chosen book but instead following a topic or theme.

This time, each member told a tale from Aesop’s Fables together with the moral, after which a short discussion on the moral ensued. The group, comprising mainly of the older generation, was happy to welcome two youngsters into the group.

I enjoyed the no-pressure environment where there was no need to impress others or show off our knowledge of literature. It was a relaxing hour or so where you just let your thoughts and words flow.

I’m already looking forward to future meetings where certain themes and topics will be the subject of discussion. Our next topic is Greek mythology.

I list below a few benefits of hosting a book club or being a member of one.

Discover new books

When you join a book club, you discover new books, new genres and new authors. This helps you broaden your horizons and step out of your reading comfort zone.

 

Sharpens Intellect

Reading and then analysing plots, characters, themes, and morals challenges and sharpens your brainpower.

 

Builds Accountability

Finding time to read in the hurly burly of your daily routine may be a difficult proposition. When you join a bookclub, you are accountable.

 

Networking

A book club can help you find new friends, expand your network of connections, hold meaningful conversations and meet like-minded people.

 

Improve communication skills

Attending a bookclub meet hones your communication and listening skills. You’re listening and communicating in a safe, non –judgmental space.

 

Mental well –being

Reading enhances your mental being. It’s a great stress buster, and there’s nothing like curling up with a good book when the chips are down.

 

I’ve come to realise that reading is not only about finishing books, but also about joining a book club and reaping the benefits.

 

Image - AI generated

Happy Father's Day, dad

Hey, Dad!

I've been thinking about you. You’re always in my thoughts, Dad, but this letter is a special Father’s Day tribute to a special dad—you.

Thirty-five years ago, you passed away on your wedding anniversary, leaving a big hole in our hearts. Now, you have Mom to keep you company.

How I wish you had met your grandsons, Dad. You have six of them. They are all wonderful boys, shining and sparkling in their own right. One grandson shares your passion for music.

I‘ve inherited your booming voice, Dad, but not your singing voice. I croak. It doesn’t matter. I sing anyway.

You were too kind and generous for your own good, and despite being cheated, you never stopped being so.

And the Lambretta scooter… you’ve helped so many avoid the inconvenience of public transport and helped folks get to their destinations on time.

I can vividly recall the rides you gave me on that scooter—to school, college, here, there, and everywhere.

You were quite the bookworm, and yes, your efforts to turn me into a bookworm have not been in vain.

You were a simple man living in simple times—simple living, high thinking. Prayer was a priority for you, and you encouraged us to follow in your footsteps. 

You were always wary of me watching Hindi films, but you made this little girl very happy when you took her to watch Haathi Mera Sathi. It was her first-ever movie in a theatre with her strict dad.

I guess most fathers are protective of their daughters, and hence, you were not quite keen on me going on a college excursion all the way to Rajasthan and needed to be convinced by other parents. Thank you for finally permitting me to go.

Ah! Boys and Mills and Boon were always on your hit list. That was a pretty irksome time, Dad, but now I can't help but chuckle when I think about those days.

 I love telling the tale of how an exasperated rickshawallah complained to you about a tearful little girl who cried all the way to school. You couldn’t take it anymore and spanked me hard and properly. I never shed a tear again on my commute to school.

 Food, too, was pretty important to you. You loved Mom's cooking, and she absolutely cooked up a storm for you. You've gifted her recipe books. 

You lived just for 59 years on this earth, and the memory of you is firmly etched in the hearts of the folk whose lives you touched by your goodness and simplicity.

 You will always remain my strong, burly, khaki-clad dad, with a song on his lips and a twinkle in his eye.

 

Missing you, Dad,

Marietta

I'm participating in the weekly Blogchatter Bloghop prompt. 

Image: InShot

Chasing Dreams: The pros and cons of competitive exams.

 Competitive Exams

 

 

Exams are a testing time for both students and parents. The word exam produces varied reactions. Some get goosebumps and turn into a bundle of nerves, while others take it in their stride.

Competitive exams take that ‘testing time’ to a whole new level. Competitive exams are usually held for admission to premier institutions like the IITs and IIMs, which are scarce in the country and are considered to be the gateways to a better life.

The preparation for these exams is a long and rigorous process, and they may not always bear the desired fruit.

Kota in Rajasthan is considered to be the IITJEE coaching capital. Arohi Deshpande, the country’s highest-ranked girl candidate in the 2026 IITJEE advanced exam, enjoyed the whole-hearted support of her family when they too shifted base to Kota during those crucial preparation years. Again, not all candidates will have their entire families with them. They would have to rough it out on their own and deal with the stress and pressure.    

 

The Advantages of Competitive Exams

Based on merit

Competitive exams are based purely on merit. The selection is strictly determined by rank and score. Thus, the selection process is objective and transparent. 

Discipline

Preparation for competitive exams helps one lead a disciplined life. The preparation requires consistency, commitment, and effective time management.

Door to opportunities

Success in competitive exams opens windows and doors to numerous opportunities, especially for those coming from modest backgrounds.

 

Sharpens skills and builds resilience

Preparation for competitive exams strengthens brainpower as a candidate tackles questions that require critical thinking and analytical skills. The exams also build resilience by training aspiring candidates to work under pressure.

 

Drawbacks:

 

The pressure factor

Competitive exams can be overwhelming. The pressure to prepare and the pressure to succeed can take a toll on the candidate. Stress, anxiety, and burnout can lead to disastrous consequences as hobbies, social interactions, and well-being are sacrificed.

 

 

Coaching isn’t for everyone

 Everybody may not have the resources to be able to enjoy the privilege of being coached, as the classes are quite expensive.

 

Success is not guaranteed

As the number of candidates taking the exams for a limited number of seats or jobs is large, quite a few lose out, and with repeated failure, one’s confidence may take a beating.

 

Competitive exams are the gateway to myriad opportunities and new worlds. However, they must not be the sole measure of the worth or capability of a person.

While success in the exams is laudable and noteworthy, failure is not to be taken to heart or result in extreme self-inflicted measures. When one door closes, there’s always another opening up.

 

The exams may be a necessity, but they must remain fair and balanced. The candidate must not be under any kind of pressure to succeed. Family expectations or pressure from peers or even the coaching classes may cause undue stress. 

The candidate would do well to answer with an open mind and not beat himself up over any untoward results. 

I'm participating in the weekly blogchatter challenge. 

The Last Tree on Earth Tells Its Story.

 The Last Tree on Earth Tells Its Story

Imagine a world, parched and barren, a silent world where you never hear the chirping of birds or the rustling of leaves, and in the midst of this depressing landscape stands a lone tree, weathered and wise. If it could speak, what would it say? The tree would tell a sorrowful tale.

 

“I once belonged to an endless grove of trees. Tall and sturdy, with thick woody, leafy branches and roots firmly grounded in the soil, our leaves were different shades of green, forming a magnificent sight.

We were the lungs of the earth, the source of balance. Children climbed and swung from our branches and played in the shade we provided. We were home to the birds, and squirrels happily scampered up and down our trunks. Our wrinkled bark held the secrets of lovers.  We witnessed the changing seasons—the joys of spring, the warmth of the summer, the freshness and cleansing of the rain the golden splendour of autumn, and the quietude of winter. Life was good.

Slowly but surely, the winds of change began to blow as man’s greed came to the fore. He wanted more and more, and so an eerie silence began to fall as the sounds of the chainsaw echoed over the land, and one by one, like a pack of cards, my friends began to fall and disappear.  

The air grew heavier and hotter; the rain ceased, the rivers dried up, and the land looked parched and bare.  I know they will come for me, too, but I still hold onto hope.

I miss my friends, the rain, the chirping birds, the rustling leaves, and the sounds of the children’s laughter.  I try hard not to drown in despair.

I’m not mere wood and leaves but a memory and a sign of hope. I entreat you not to focus on what has been lost but on what can be saved. Plant seeds and watch them grow. Every seed planted is a promise and a step towards healing and resilience."

"You take care of me, and I will of you." 

This post is part of the Blogchatter Half -Marathon 2025

Image credit: Personal pics and AI

Meet Marietta: The woman behind the words.

 Meet Marietta

 

I’m Marietta Pereira, 61, a homemaker, a trained primary school teacher, and mother of two boys, currently living in Mumbai with my better half and navigating the empty-nest phase and silver years of our lives.  

Advancing age comes with its challenges, but you're also more at peace with yourself in many respects. 

I love being around kids, and my brief six-year spell of teaching first and third graders was some of the most rewarding years. Raising kids, as I learned later, is quite another cup of tea.

I am what I am… You get what you see. I’ve come a long way from a shy and awkward little girl that I was to a moderately talkative woman participating in activities that keep me in the public eye to a small extent.( I serve as lector in the church I attend.) 

I’m no paragon of virtue, but those who know me would say I am the proverbial ‘good girl.’ I’ve come into my own late in life, but then, as they say, “better late than never. " I can't handle "fake" and "attitude."

I don’t make friends easily. I've also come to realize that after a certain age, it is difficult, if not impossible, to make friends. I've not been lucky as far as friendships go. Parties are really not my thing. A couple of friendships have stood the test of time and distance, and in the last couple of years, I have found myself drifting away from friends as we found ourselves in different places in all senses of the word 'place.'

I hate to be with people who make me feel uncomfortable, but then on occasions, I have no choice. Setting boundaries is something I’ve learned to do, and when you are okay with not pleasing everyone or not being everybody’s favourite gal, you are at peace.

On a more cheerful note, my plants give me immense joy, and so do books. I love writing and have, to my credit,
published a book of poems. Never mind that it did not set the world on fire; the joy was in writing the poems and publishing them.

I’m married into a musical family, so music is my constant companion. I enjoy listening to music, turn the volume up when I’m in the kitchen, and might even shake a leg when nobody’s watching.

I’m a die –hard romantic; I love happy endings and sad movies make me cry. Comedy, I love.  I'm also a foodie with a hopeless sweet tooth. 

Marriage is sharing your life with another but retaining your identity. Well, 31 years into the institution, the sparring continues, but we are growing old together, and that’s not such a bad thing.

Motherhood is a rollercoaster ride. I’ve made mistakes and am often reminded of them by my offspring. I’m sure I will make a few more, but then again, life is all about learning from your mistakes and trying not to repeat them. However, I don’t consider all of them mistakes. My sons will, of course, disagree.

I love travelling, but I have quite a few sights and sounds still on my bucket list.

I’ve survived some major health challenges and feel blessed and grateful that by and large, I’ve been able to sustain my good health.

Life doesn’t play fair—you win some, you lose some, you accept some. You ask questions, but life doesn’t always give you the answers. It’s best to live life one day at a time and deal with it as gracefully as you can. 

I've participated in the weekly Blogchatter Bloghop challenge.  

Collage: Inshot

Villain : When I'm My Own Enemy

 

 

It’s the villain in me

That sets me back,

That forces me to give up

Or give in.

 

I see the darkness,

Not the light.

I see hopelessness

Not the flickering flame

That may be in sight.

 

She steals my courage,

Leaves me trembling with fear.

How I wish

I could put up a fight,

But I choose to let the villain stay.

 

This villain

She’s controlling,

Not accepting,

Resisting inevitable change.

She introduced me to overthinking

And negativity too.

I can’t live my life

Allowing this villain to rule;

I’ve got to let her go.

 

She still visits,

But I’m trying:

Choosing to be the person

I want to be.

Writing my own shining story.

 

I'm participating in the weekly Blogchatter Bloghop challenge. 

The Jar of Memories I Will Not VIsit

 

The Jar of memories I will not visit

 

Like the stars in a galaxy

My happy memories shine brightly.

 

The moments of despair and darkness

I’ve imprisoned in a jar, sealed tightly.

 

I never want to remember.

My encounters with Science or numbers.

 

Or the days I lost Ma and Pa

And my dear friend Vibha.

 

The darkness of the day

When a certain diagnosis was made.

 

I hated the call.

That warned me of a financial squall.

 

Broken friendships

Trust turned to rust.

I hate them all.

 

As heavy as elephants

As dark as the night

These are memories.

I shall keep

Out of my light.