Golden Memories
Sometimes I would run into a humble argument with my mother and sisters about the importance of jewelry for a woman. I just, somehow, couldn’t fathom why would gold be so dearly loved? They would often give me a million reasons and none would make me agree with them. But then one day I found out the reason that would shut me up for once and for all. I found it when I wasn’t looking fro it.
I was sitting with my grandmother having a chit chat, when I found a “Paayal” somewhere around the couch. I started wondering to whom it belonged as no one that I knew wore it. My grandmother took it from me and looked at it. It was like a magic payal or something as it brought that smile of content and memories on her face. Without my asking, and without even her noticing I believe, she started telling me about the first payal she ever had, long time back; more than sixty years back that is.
She kept telling me about all the jewelry she ever had; before marriage and after; the necklaces, bracelets, rings, bangles and Paayals and all other types that I had never even heard of. All that time as she told me about her ornaments, she had that beautiful expression on her face, one with a lot of passionate memories. She remembered all pieces of jewelry she ever owned and that’s what hit me.
It’s not just some gold molded into different shapes, its something that portrays you, your image as a person, it makes you feel strong in some mysterious meanings of the word; it means more than just jewelry. There are memories of people and occasions attached to them and that’s what makes them priceless.
I don’t think I will ever question gold’s importance for a woman again.
Category: Columns, On Second Thought
That’s an interesting piece, Amir. Here’s another take on this issue…from another woman!
I think every woman needs an identity. If she can only define herself with reference to her family (as happened in our grandmothers’ era), she then strives to find her own identity through her second instinct – to look beautiful – and anything she can use in that respect gains importance in her life.
When a woman is encouraged to nurture her intellectual capacity, her focus shifts to higher concerns and she is least bothered about amassing gold! (which does NOT mean she doesn’t want to look good anymore!)I believe, there are equally wonderous memories associated with writing the first poem or getting paid for the first published piece…or anything else she can feel proud to lay claim to as solely her own creation.
On golden memories…
I am a no-gold-woman. Better yet: a no-golden gold woman. Have not bought, owned or worn anything gold in years. Why? I prefer silver, the liquidity of it. Or white gold, how silently irreverent it is.
I still remember my first paycheck!!!!! 1992! After having taught the first wonderful 12 hours of my teaching career… Maybe as Tahera very accurately points it out, we “amass” golden memories nowadays, achievements more than jewelry. And that does not mean we do not care about looking beautiful…
After reading this, i just remembered my first blue-beaded ring i got when i was just a small kid…we may lose the stuff we own within years but the memories are always within us waiting to be taken out with even a slightest attemtp…
It is true in a way, some objects and places are a great reference to your memories … they make ‘remembering’ a convenience.