How your friends are keeping you jobless and broke
“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.”
When I was in college, I wanted to ride a motorcycle.
But years of societal conditioning that women can’t ride motorcycles made me hesitate.
Until one day…
I went to my dad and said “Papa, I want to learn how to ride a bike.” (in Punjabi)
I observed his reaction.
He didn’t bat an eyelid nor laughed at me.
The best thing was that he didn’t ask me “Why do YOU (a girl) want to do that?”
Instead he smiled and said “Cool, I will teach you in the evening.”
We first learned in an open field.
He had his hands on the handlebars to support me.
One day, he took me on the road.
This road wasn’t like any other road in Chandigarh.
It was the foothills of the Shivaliks.
The road curved upwards through the mountains and had a valley on one side.
I was reliant on my dad to support me on the bike.
Suddenly, he said “I am going to take off my hands from the handles.”
I was shit scared. I screamed hurriedly “Papa, don’t! I will fall off.”
My dad kept his calm and said “It’s fine. I know you can do it. Just focus on the road and keep driving.”
My heart raced but I drove!
I drove on that curvy road.
I drove confidently even when other bikes or cars were passing by.
Breeze flew past my face.
I experienced a rush of excitement.
I was proud that I could ride a bike!
But I wouldn’t have had this moment and victory, which I still remember 7 years later, if it wasn’t for my dad believing in me.
There’s an important lesson from this story.
If you have people around you who don’t laugh at your dreams and believe in you, even at times when it’s difficult for you to believe in yourself, you will go a lot further in life.
Keep Blooming,
Bani Singh