This evening gifted me a lovely moment. My doctor cousin's best friend's daughters were training for the Spanish A1 exam with me. Young students being young students, i had to remind them regarding the results. I do not know how my query to them regarding the results being declared got copy-pasted to my status account. For sure, i did nothing of that sort.
After half an hour or so, i realised that many of the regular readers of my blog @ my status had actually bothered to open the status entry! So sure they were that i must have communicated something worth a read, even when the thumbnail obviously could not be much to write home about!
It was a genuinely humbling moment. The faith your readers thus show in your ingenuity, in your genuineness, in your ideas, in your ability to 'mean' well (that is, communicate nice ideas, and well) is both, a high and a humbling moment, believe me, especially because i do not write any gooey-gooey, goodie-goodie, cutsie, tantalising or 'explosive' stuff, nor are there any appealing visuals, et al!
In a way, hence, it was both, a moment of recognition and re-cognition. It was recognition on my readers' part which made me aware, made me realise yet again my responsibility, the moment of re-cognition. Great feel it was that at least some people actually bother to read my little pieces, even when available are so many more alluring amusement alternatives!
Honestly and in all humility, i must say that such reader response has always been a blessing i have enjoyed. The articles i wrote for 'The New Indian Express' used to be syndicated in a big way, and researchers from all sorts of places would come up to tell me that they actually liked a write-up, which was not bad because i used to write on high-funda stuff in a 'popular' way.
My articles in the 'Newstime' and the 'Hindu' pull-out, not to forget the city portals, were 'liked/admired/appreciated' as well. All sorts of compliments i have garnered for all these which range from Bhishm Sahni writing 'you are very kind' (i have the letter with me) to 'i look forward to your articles' and 'i buy the newspaper for the sake of your articles', for instance.
The readers' compliments that i liked the most were the ones i used to get for my Marathi articles. Let me tell you why. Aai used to love answering the phone calls (the landline phone used to be right next to her bed) that asked for Pratima Agnihotri because the person at the other end 'liked the xyz article/story very much'.
Well, my moment of re-cognition of my writerly capabilities is a little special because every chance i got was purely due to sheer abilities, and in a field where only (fairy)mothers and (god)fathers alone matter. I remember, i had just gone down to 'The New Indian Express' office; i was asked to write a review which was so liked the title onwards that i became a regular freelancer (at least four articles per week) in no time!
My very first published book review got rave remarks from the writer, who (i did not know it but) was the best friend of the Resident Editor. None ever begrudged me the assignments that followed in abundance. Oh, yes, the complimentary copy of that book i gave to Papa as the review was published on March 18, his birthday. Papa was as happy as he was when they both saw my name flash on the national t.v. as the co-producer of an EMRC programme which, incidentally, got both, high praise and a prize.
Well, all such and many, many more lovely responses make me feel more committed and still more responsible to my small little creative contributions. So, Thank You, Everybody! Your response made my day!
Pratima@ I love celebrating the readerly activities even on a blog because the eternal grouse currently is that reading is dead!
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