Why alone?
There’s a perceived safety in numbers. It’s nerve-wracking to face our fears all alone, but the mere presence of someone else makes one a little braver. Be it a dingy street or even a dark forest, if there’s even one person, even a child accompanying us, we feel secure!
This idea of “shared bravery” is remarkable. There is a beautiful excerpt from the book Life of Pi, where Pi acknowledges that he wouldn’t have lasted the nightmarish journey if it wasn’t for the presence of the tiger:
I wish I had said to him then – yes, I know, to a tiger, but still – I wish I had said, “.. Richard Parker, it’s over. We have survived. Can you believe it? I owe you more gratitude than I can express I couldn’t have done it without you. I would like to say it formally: Richard Parker, thank you. Thank you for saving my life ..”
The point — without negating the awesomeness of shared bravery— is that it’s equally important to be able to face our fears alone. Until we do it ourself, we can never really overcome that fear.
Go, open the door to those monsters inside your head, and face them. Most irrationalities are passed from one generation to the other; but this cycle can be broken, and there has never been a better time to do it than now!
This blog is exclusively for women who venture solo. We want to celebrate you!
What’s to fear in walking alone in a public space, you may ask? Nothing really, other than the huge effort to jump over one’s mental block.
Why don’t women assert themselves in public spaces? Why is it awkward to go to a movie alone? Why can’t a woman travel solo? Why can’t a girl eat alone at a restaurant? Doesn’t a girl want to go for a hike for some personal time? Do most Indian woman prefer the company of their kids or husband or even friends while venturing out of their houses or is that a (un)necessary evil?
These little things matter. These refutable but important nuances are why we still need feminism. I add “refutable” because there is nothing that is stopping anyone, is there? You could nip the argument of claiming spaces in the bud and say- “You want to jog before sunrise, go do it.” But then, why don’t we do it?
Why aren’t there women alone in public spaces that are actually safe? Why don’t we wander?
Women of the world, it is time to walk alone! We want to see a world where women loaf in a mall alone. We want to see women in a park all by themselves, reading a book. We want to see women draw/write while they sit alone, enjoying the evening at the seaside. We want to see a world where women embark upon a personal journey to places national/international to discover themselves. We want this utopian world to become commonplace.
Our goal is to create a community that celebrates stories of courage and joy, of fear and overcoming those fears, of claiming space and flaunting it. 😉
How can you contribute?
Send in your pictures with your story. It can be as concise as a status update or as descriptive as a blog-post. Describe the anxious bits, the creepy bits, the happy bits. Personalize Ekla Chalo! Don’t forget to send in an informal introduction about you.
Remember: Your pictures + Two or more lines about your picture + Two lines about you.
This online space is meant to be inspiring. Do not compare these “mini-adventures” with where you are at in life. If for you, travelling alone in a local train is a new milestone, so be it. This is an online community for you. Share your journey with us!
Let us wander till we are found..
Mail us your photos and stories at eklachaloteam AT gmail DOT com.
Ekla Chalo 