Yes, Mama, let’s have an open talk.
Like any living being, bound by two eternal truths – birth and death –
I entered this world on 03.05.2001, in a way different from my Guddi Nani.
My poor Mama and the whole family were simply shocked on seeing me, my physical condition.
All were in great pain – Mama and I, both physically as well.
Nobody was responding to me, reciprocating to me, or understanding my needs – not even my strong Mama. It was a typically frustrating environment.
“Why me?” We all ask this question at some point in life. Through the constant trials and tribulations thrown at us, the fragile heart yearns for the answer. Rich. Poor. All men pose this question to the universe in some manner. This question approaching the meaning of the suffering we all endure is also explored in different branches of Philosophy. Existentialism. Nihilism. Absurdism. Determinism — you get it. Billions of people are all stuck around finding the question of this WHY…including me of course.
I remember the moment vividly,
The Moment of despair,
Realizing that I am so different from others,
Belittled by society,
That looks down on different ones.
We are a planet made up of a diverse group of people – and a diverse group of people imply a diverse set of problems. We are riddled with issues so eclectic in their nature, it’s almost impossible to find a uniform solution to all of them.
This is where I think literature comes into picture. We turn to books and poetry when we are most helpless. In times of adversity, we seek refuge in art – which is why it is so important to have proper and equal representation in all of art’s branches.
Continue reading Diversity and Representation in YA and Children’s Literature
