Jessica Andrews - Who I Am

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My Housing Woes

                                                      My Housing Woes
                                                   
                                                      By: Sangita Bhatt

The Melting Pot got a little too hot for me in the past few years. So much so that it is difficult for me to identify which house I belong to. More so, from -- where should my house be -- to which is the ADDRESS. Where you live or where you receive mail.  The Postal Service must be encountering interesting incidents as far as misdirected or missing mail is concerned. Every time I have an id to give or expect a mail, I am faced with this situation of; will i receive it; did I miss it. Sometimes there is no way to know that there was a feedback. Thanks to the e-mails, some of this is avoided but the problem is still there. If ONLY I COULD HAVE A CLOUD ADDRESS for all the mails. Wouldn't be surprised.

Well that was not my purpose of writing this. The real reason is that it is difficult to have a home that can house you long enough to be your regular permanent address. The situation I am talking is that of temporary housing to Homelessness. Most people do have some address before they become homeless. The Shelters do provide some help but is not the kind one can look forward to. Most of the real estate, housing, shelters work on the condition that you have some kind of income to contribute towards your stay. This is actually not properly translated monetary wise to help those who are not currently unemployed,.. women with children, disabled, seniors and minors( and others in the category).

Most Shelters and rental housing require income. Private house owners give properties on rent, but often do not give receipt of the rent taken, so as a result, you do not have a proof of income spent on rent. To make it worse they do not  report their rental income to the IRS. There is no proof that you paid and they made money on you living in their house. Shelters on the other hand do know that the persons they are housing have hardships. But they also do not let you live there for more than a certain period. Whereas the families that live there are supported because they have someone outside of that shelter supporting them. could be out of state, friend , relative, someone from the Jailhouse, divorce court etc. The point is --THAT THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE FOR THEM.

They are helping in a small way, whichever way they an. Is this reported by the shelters as income received towards the shelter upkeep, or as rental income received by them for housing these people? Same applies for Senior Centers and likewise. You do the math. Do those who contribute towards these housing expenses get any receipts to show for tax purposes? Private house owners; to shelters; if they report this, the homeless and those families, friends who help them will also get proper representation and the homeless person gets to show that he or she has income coming from some source to get proper representation and proper refund. At the same time those who help pay for them, does not matter whether they are divorced, out of state, jailed, deployed get to show it in their taxes.

This first towards the "Housing" would lead the way for the next step ........

Diwali Pooja Vidhi Aarti Sahit By Pandit Somnath Sharma Full Audio Song ...

Filling The Economic Gap

                                                  Filling The Economic Gap
                                 
                                                  By: Sangita Bhatt

Typical scene of a place like the social service, a hospital, a court house…. People who are there with expectations; most of them expect things to turn their way, or get some help, assistance, treatment or justice. This is what does not happen all the time. Then the person who goes through this raw deal, has the endless road of appeals, frustrating repetitions of their failures, until either they give up or they are heard, or they are eliminated. This process of trying to fill the lack or just of looking the other way, is the core area, which the system needs to be working on to redeem itself, and the people WHO make the system run, should be the one addressing this problem with sincere concern. I am aware of the many problems they are faced with, much is being done with the help of technology to avoid certain problems. But there is still a lack of coordination among the concerned departments.

 One such existing problem is that of finding employment; which I have been facing like some others, probably more so. Employment is the basis of an economy. That of a country, state and an individual. The better the economy on an individual; better for the state and the country. Either it be a salaried job, wages, or a business income. It all reflects on the country’s economy. If this basis for every individual is solved, it takes care of some of the other basic needs which would reflect on a country’s GDP. This would mean addressing.. Housing, food, clothing (garments), and transportation. This in turn helps the financial industry thrive and banks do good business. In turn a better economic picture.

The mention of employment is specific, as, this is where all the downturns occur. The example I take is that of the State of New Jersey. This just as an example of what could be achieved at a state level, if all the concerned departments worked in coordination. In the recent years I have had to take help of agencies, to find a place to live for my family, get a job and start my life in the state like many others. The many struggles of trying to live and make ends meet in the state is typical of what some fellow Americans face, and mind you there situation is not unsolvable; thanks to the technology that is available at hand to most of us, which is still a luxury to people in some of the other countries.

Coming back to my State, I have some statistics, thanks to the Census Bureau:

The population of NJ (Aug. 2013)    8,899,339.

Out of which 22% are under the age of 18.

14.4% of it are aged 65+ years.

Both these age groups are not actively employed.

The US Department of Labor has the following figures: (Numbers from 2014)

Labor force                      4495      (The number in thousands)

Civilian Employment      4200.8 (The number in thousands)

Nonfarm wage                3949.5     (The number in thousands)     

                The SBA has the following numbers: (though they are from 2008)

Businesses and govt. agencies    1, 44,000

Individual sites                                5, 54,000     

If we have the perfect numbers from the current year, we can see how much employable force we have in the state, and how many job options do we really need to work upon. That should take care of the unemployment problem. The few hundreds (mind you, it still is hundreds) that do not have a job, are the lot I am talking about. These are those workforce which is either being made redundant, victimized, even being displaced whatever the reasons (medical, family, discrimination, harassment and what have you.)  One of the reasons I have observed, is experienced by some, for being discriminated by their own community, from becoming financially independent. This is where the state intervention can help. Though this may not be welcome by the private businesses. The state can make it mandatory to hire this unemployed workforce in organizations having a different background form theirs, this way they are employed with a different community than their own. The state should employ the equal opportunity employer card here. If, actually the state makes it a requirement for the businesses, to hire a certain number of staff from other communities (depending on the demographics of the location), the problem of the unemployed might get solved. Probably it might actually be brought into practice, if a tax break is given to such firms who employ a mix of communities, probably if from an unemployment agency.  

                If this step can resolve the employment issue then we will be faced with the next most important one… housing. Of the total population that the state is currently having, the number of those living in households is …3,578,141(housing units).

The land area of NJ 7354.22 sq. mile.

Persons ………..         1195.5 Per sq. mile

With all the statistics that I have furnished, we can calculate, how the all employed and economically viable individuals can be housed in the state.

        

                                                      

Reflection

Reflection

By: Sangita Bhatt

                                                 Through the glass

                                                 I was seeing -

                                                 tall trees, beautiful flowers, green grass, birds flying,

                                                 and on the road, a vendor pass..

                                                 On the edge of the sky

                                                 a few dark clouds.

                                                 The sun was shining,

                                                 promising a pleasant day.

                                                 Yet, I could sense the changing wind.

                                                 The brightness vanished into a dull grey sky.

                                                 The wind was chilled into a fog.

                                                 The mist blurred my window glass,

                                                 blocking all vision,

                                                 and all I could see through it

                                                 was my reflection.

The End of A Quest

The End of A Quest

By: Sangita Bhatt

                                                     The night: A paradox

                                                     Various shadows formed under the sun

                                                     vanished in the night, all into one.

                                                     The activities of the live

                                                     have in stillness come to lie.

                                                     The end is certain, so is the beginning.

                                                     The soul is fixed, the forms changing.

                                                     The Truth is one, but the facts are numerous.

                                                     So the Only mind is always dubious.

                                                     The bitter-sweet life is a fact,

                                                     but an illusion of the mind.

                                                     The freedom of the soul is the Truth,

                                                     beyond the conception of the mind.

                                                     The mind is calm, the Quest is over.

                                                     There are no more shadows for me to uncover.

                                                    All the shadows of the mind, have subsided...

                                                    into the all pervading night that Truth provided.

A Boat in Time.

A Boat in Time.

By: Sangita Bhatt

Do not know what had overcome me. I am not a natural fish, and do not take to fishing, swimming or even taking a boat to the river. So this was an adventure. It was an unstoppable impulse that made me decide to spend my day rowing a boat down the river.

It is already past noon, and I have, I think,just traveled enough. The Boat is stopped, at one end of the river. There is no turbulence in the water, save for the waves and ripples caused due to the gentle breeze. There is calm and peace. All that is around can be seen clearly in the water - the blue, the green,the white, the glimmer of gold and so on.

I looked at it all, it was magic! It was as if I was out of breadth and had just started breathing again. Lost touch of my bearings and was hit, rather struck, by this moment of truth and realization. All this time I was moving in it. It was all around me, moving with me. I was a part of it and seemed to undermine it. It was just there, and this was natural. THIS is the life giving force upon this planet. So clear, crystal, and hence flowing. I wonder why people say a rolling stone gathers no mass. Does it have to? it rolls in these clear, flowing waters. It moves with it, and allowing this flowing reality to mold and shape it. In return it helps keep the purity of the water, remaining clean itself.

Slowly, I looked at it...in awe... and could see myself like a child looking at a mirror for the very first time. This floating mirror, showed me my reflection, inside out. I was above and below it and also in it. This flowing reality has been there since time immemorial. It was the first present thing before any other life form was created upon this earth. It was water every where before land and life emerged. It is such an important living existing part of our history and I never looked at it that way until now. Until this very moment.

It mirrored the TIME. The time when I broke free from it, and was declared born into this world; till this day that I was looking at it and was realizing that, had I ever broken away from it. It was in and around me, and was needed by me in order to live. It was and has been a part of my life and every creature upon this Earth.

This was a memorable moment, it was a journey through time and a moment to reckon the Truth. I decided to turn back and to move on in future; keeping in mind the reverence of this moment.

Mirage

 Mirage

By: Sangita Bhatt

                                                            I sit with my pen-
-                                                           hesitating-
                                                            my mind races ahead,
                                                            yet no thought raises its head.
                                                            There is a mist
                                                            a hazy form amidst.
                                                            I can feel it, and yet not
                                                            I can think it, but write not.
                                                            Is it this age, I wonder.
                                                            For I can see them all suffering,
                                                            eyes trying to focus,minds trying to read,
                                                            each one struggling, to find that horizon.
                                                            Where doubts cease to exist, and surety prevails.
                                                            And yet, this tempting mirage,
                                                            does falsely encourage us,
                                                            into a state,
                                                            where there is still a mist,
                                                            and a hazy form amidst.

Towards a Society Free of Gender Bias

Towards a Society Free of Gender Bias

By:  Sangita Bhatt

Mother, Maa.... an identity that is achieved with pain and joy, and-is the one which takes upon itself a number of challenges to keep, maintain and glorify it. This right can only be achieved in the form of a woman and cannot be insulted or belittled. A mother alone helps create, nurture and maintain a family. Not only she has to be adept at protecting her young ones, but also be a partner to her spouse, work on keeping emotional security within her immediate family, hence, she has within her immense power of tolerance and understanding, and resilience when the going gets tough. Mother is the one who is ready to face and question boundaries when it comes to protect her kids.

Creation is a part of that supreme energy, and creating is the act of the feminine gender; who thus becomes a carrier of that supreme being, or the part of it. But creation, and the act of creation is abused in today's times by the medical, social, even the artistic world. The responsibility of creating, nurturing and maintaining is primarily that of the feminine. The male gender primarily is responsible in helping to create and to protect the representations of that superior, in the process of creation. But in present times the burden on the woman has doubled up, as she is often the sole person protecting her kids, the male being more or less absent. Her task becomes more than just taking care of her young ones. She has to work in the house and even provide for financially.

Her role has evolved from just being the mother, to even being the father. This is due to the modern day demand for more luxury and relaxed time. The breakneck competition to achieve a lot, personal ambitions, and an overall change in the outlook of the the present day culture. Where a woman is admitted into a lot of roles, thought earlier, to be a male domain. Unfortunately this is not true of the male gender,they do not gladly accept the feminine tasks. A man does not equally share the same burden of work a woman does. Which can be seen in reluctance to do household tasks apart from the regular office/business chores.

The question that is still unsolved is the gender bias, that still exists in today's world. A man and a woman were both created together by the same supreme force, which till date governs us; and were both made responsible to create and maintain its creations upon this planet. Yet a woman has to struggle her way up, to financial, physical and social freedom, more so, compared to a man.

The answer lies in the ideology of the purpose of creation. When a toy is manufactured for a certain purpose, if it does not meet its specific function it is rendered useless, or rather is considered of no use, worthless etc. When a soul is brought into existence, its creators or parents start to take care of it, and consider it as their own, and have expectations of it as their own. They tend to forget that this is not a manufactured toy. This is not just the case of one parent; it is a whole mass of creators and parents forming the social structure. When this ideology passes down from one generation to another, it sets a norm which is accepted without question.

We tend to forget that we are all created equal and are representations of the same entity. Hence a gender bias has no basis. A father has to remember that he cannot impose his male ideology on his son, and the mother cannot impose her female ideology on her daughter. Worldly tasks, roles and responsibilities can be allotted to either genders, except for their primary function; without any bias, or a need to compete. The need is to set aside our inbred role expectations, and to help each other in achieving what might be their natural call, maintaining one's respect and dignity. Such a society would indeed be diverse, and full of geniuses, contributing to truly advanced generation of humans - an advanced society.

Courage

Courage

By: Sangita Bhatt

Courage definitely. A very desirable value to have. It can pull you through a lot of inexplicable situations. What wisdom questions, can be answered by courage. Wisdom is acquired over time. It is learned, sometimes ingrained. Wisdom therefore is known., learned and accepted. It can predict the outcome of an action. But there are exceptions to every rule, Wisdom is more of a thought process, is not physical, not action. It needs the basis of action to test its authenticity. Which sometimes prove out to be an exception to the acceptable. Thus we have new set of rules, new inventions, technology , even a new social structure. Wisdom is the outcome of tested and proven courage. Wisdom and courage both involve questioning. When the outcome is unknown, wisdom backs out, while courage goes ahead to prove whether the action was justified or not. The very basis for wisdom to question a situation ,event , or action creates the basis or need for action to know the outcome.

When wisdom questions, courage should seize that opportunity to prove that the outcome is favorable, not otherwise. This is the only way change can be brought about. There starts the war with the wise and the believing, courageous novices. Only courage can raise the bars of wisdom. Courage coupled with patience can achieve the impossible. Since change in ideas, views or opinions is not going to take place overnight, patience is needed. Hence any new revolution or change can occur only through Courage.

Courage is an emotion, a passion to bring forth that which is right. It is respect, to stand out for the Truth and the just. To stand up for the unacceptable, which at times might be against wise judgment. This is the emotion that
Spreads beyond wisdom to show the way. Being an emotion, a passion, it comes from the heart Courage comes from the Heart, and has the power to rule and overcome the mind if necessary. Courage therefore is inherent in the messengers of change. Change in every field. Courage coupled with conviction can create wonders beyond conception. Had Newton not questioned, as to why the apple fell on the ground, and foolishly pursue the thought, we might not have known gravity for sometime to come.

Wisdom has no heart, is above all, is impartial, is all knowing is old! Whereas Courage is forever young! It is the attribute of a learner, creator, inventor, explorer, and a seeker. It desires action, answers, change, movement or progress. It is a restless passion to find an acceptable answer for the day to day events, and occurrences. With courage lives have been rescued, disability has been overcome, disasters have been prevented, women's role in society has widened, and so on. Courage is instrumental in change in the right direction, in that sense it is positive. But the desired outcome is not achieved at once. After numerous efforts and mistakes we can see the welcome change, in that sense it is young and a novice, and should not be mistaken as a negative emotion.

Courage has and needs more power than wisdom. Since it is growth, an upward movement, struggle at the end of which there should be a broad daylight; it is a powerhouse and comes from our human power house, the heart. Little wonder that it can achieve such impossible feats. It is the bright light that urges you to question, all the darkness that you see around, and face unto it regardless of consequences. It is also the inner light that makes you accept your limitations and try to face and overcome them. When the entire populace feels its pull, there is a civil war, a civil rights movement, and mass revolution. With courage one can win over oneself, a nation, or any cause one sets out for and create heights of wisdom.

Draupdi's Vastraharan

Draupdi's Vastraharan

BY: Sangita Bhatt

The entire Mahabharata, is riddled with situations that raise many questions and are interpreted in many ways, sometimes to the dismay of some sections of the society. I have personally heard a few comments of disapproval at times. This I could put it down to lack of understanding on the other part, and the inability to explain the true purpose on my part. This is what I feel, I should rectify, as I have seen some light into this episode. The scene is from Mahabharata: Draupadi, said to be the wife of five brothers, was bargained for by scheming Duryodhan to avenge the Pandavas, and bring them to dishonor and loss of kingdom, in a game of chess. The incidence brings forth a lot of issues, that need understanding and relevance to be acceptable by any normal average thinking human, in the context of the past and present times.

I am trying to analyze this as follows: First of all - Mahabharata belongs to the Dwapara Yuga, Unlike Ramayana, which was set in the Sata Yuga. The comparison of the two incidences occurring in two different Yugas is null and void. Rama was a Suryavanshi, believed to be Sun worshippers. Whereas Pandavas were Chandravanshi, believed to be the moon worshipers. The Yuga in case of Mahabharata is Dwapara, suggesting that it was fading of Sata and coming of KaliYug. It was an in between stage. The influence of which can be seen throughout Mahabharat, this incidence being one them. SataYug gave weight age to TRUTH, above all. There is a mix of it all in Mahabharata.

Yudhishtira was also a victim of this period. Though he practiced truth, he had to resort to other methods. In this case, he put his wife on the line to preserve the honor of the Pandavas, who were at a distinct disadvantage partly due to the dilemma of which should they support and defend, against what the odds were. This is where Krishna steps in, to bring forth the eternal truth before mankind. Now approaching the scene: where Yudhisthira is defeated in the game; and as promised he has to helplessly watch his wife being insulted by his own cousins; shows the dilemma of a King, who put his honor and values above all. Honor and Truth became a passion, to the extent that they became a vice, and eventually humbled him. Being Chandravanshis (moon worshipers) they were led and guided more by the mind (mana), not intellect (the two are different).

As for Draupadi, her FAITH, belief and trust were broken; by her husbands own kin, with the husband's permission. The humiliation was intense. This was a rape of her unshakable faith in her many husbands right and might. All this could happen only where people are led by the Mana (mind) without the guidance of the conscience. This is the void which is filled in by Krishna. The five husbands of Draupadi, raise eyebrows in today's context, and are misinterpreted to accommodate the fancies of the lustful and the weak at heart. So is the inability of the Pandavas to defend one woman against the scheming. Since The Ramayana and The Mahabharata are both religious epics, they should be understood primarily in that context, rather, only in the spiritual context and should not be compared with the real life worldly situations; unless the reader is spiritually (not religiously) ready to understand it. The reason for this being that they were authored by sages who were not living in the material world but in ashrams away from the material world. The characters are real but not all the incidents mentioned therein should be interpreted as matter of fact. They are the author's message, and insight into the situations perceived from his level.

Yudhihstira is faced with the situation where his cousin wants to take over his kingdom from him. He is addressed as Dharmaraj, hence a bigger problem. In this context Draupadi's Vastraharan (rape) is in reality the incident of Yudhishtira's awakening. Draupadi happens to be his soul (soul mate), who ultimately turns to Krishna for guidance. The clothes that are being pulled from Draupadi by Dushasana (the name itself suggests - bad rule or regime) are some of the inhibitions faced by Yudhistira, which are pulled away by Dushasana, and are replaced by the new knowledge or perception provided by Krishna. It is Yudhistir's struggle between honor and subjection. It was humiliation, as he knew he had been cheated, and his duty to keep the promise, which would mean to sell his conscience to a man who did not deserve to be the ruler. This is the event where Krishna reveals the Truth to Yudhistira and suggests that he face this situation and make sure he corrects this situation, as he was, The One, meant to rule, or else it would be the End. This is the important incident which prepares Yudhishtira for a battle. This whole incident is later repeated in a different form when Arjun is faced with this situation and Krishna has to take the reigns in his hands.