Happy Diwali!

Talk about Diwali and role of Sita lead to lively discussion! We started the meeting with a discussion of the seeming dichotomy between Western /North American society and our older Indian culture.  We talked about society, gender issues, cultural norms and societal morays about an emancipated liberated society of the West having less comfort accepting women in positions of power, compared to India where women supposedly do not enjoy these same freedoms or concepts of egality – and yet – we have had several women in positions of power and no one questions that or views that as being unusual. We talked about the merits of our traditional, cultural, collective approach versus the newer societies who have such a focus on individual liberties and rights. 

 Sweet spot could be to find the balance of inter-connectedness in our society – we need the right balance between knowing we are the sole architect of our own future, but that this does not mean we are alone – that we do have support systems we can access if we ever need that, and we ourselves will form support systems for other within our circle when needed.

Lots of interesting topics for future discussions came up:

• Creating positive spaces: How to create supportive and positive spaces for ourselves and for each other as we age and adapt to different life stages. Mother-in-laws are the worst – but are they really?  What results in this perception of “women are our own worst enemies”.
• Balance is everything: What is the right balance between old and new societies/culture
• Life choices: Individualism v/s collectivism
• Independence v/s Interdependence: New Models to live our lives by. From giving help to accepting help.
• Power, Position, Gender and Age: generational changes
• Generational gap or Generational bridges: what we can live and learn from each other

Over $4500 raised for Interval House

• We will try and coordinate a small group to go present the cheque to them. Rekha Ji thanked the contributors.
• SNOW did a food drop off for the Interval House a few months ago that the organization was very grateful for.
• We will once again try and collect and bring them other resources – toys for kids, hobby and craft supplies, Christmas gifts, women’s items etc. Drop-off at Indu’s residence or to the December 11th mtg.

COVID-19 and the Seasonal Influenza

We had a lot of discussions about Covid, Flu, Symptoms, mask etiquette etc. NONE OF THIS IS TO BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE.

Protect Yourself

• Public health recommends that if you have no contraindication – please GET YOUR FLU SHOT!
• Consult your doctor for the best, updated medical advice.

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Next Meeting

Discussed the possibility of hybrid meetings – few folks collect at a couple of different homes and few can still can dial in via zoom; or we can get together at a restaurant plus have the zoom dial-in option.

Next Meetings:

• November 13th at 10:15 am
• December 11th at 11:15 am