The kid has finally grown up

That’s what my mum would be telling herself at the end of this week. This week turned out to be one of the most gratifying week of my entire life. It ranks right up with the week that I got married and the week that I graduated and the week that I joined my first full time job. The reason is pretty simple. I finally, I mean finally, learnt to mix rice (anna) and curry (saaru) with my own hands and used my own bare hand to eat the mixture. No spoon, no fork, no knives, just my fingers. Believe it or not, it felt great !!

You may be thinking “what’s the big deal !?” Wait till you hear this – I have never mixed and eaten rice curry, which also happens to be the staple food of the people of Southern Karnataka, with my own hands continuously for a whole week for lunch/dinner with my mum around ever ! I simply cannot think of a time when I had to do that. My mum has always mixed them for me and like an icing on the cake, given me a spoon to eat it up. It is funny but mums are mums. After completing the process of eating rice n’ curry myself on the first day of the week in front of my mum, I actually felt empowered ! I felt like I owned something ! I felt like I controlled something ! The feeling is akin to one felt by a fledgling when it takes its first flight ! The feeling is just indescribable. And add to all this, my mum started giving me smart tips on how to mix rice and curry better and in the end she said "Remember, add a pinch of salt to the mixture of rice, curry and ghee and that will make it a lot tastier". Does this "Remember,..." dialogue ring a bell in you ? It certainly does in me. The Lion King, ladies and gentlemen. This is when I thought she felt that her son has come off age.

It doesn't mean that I've never mixed or eaten rice n' curry like this before. I have, but only when I haven't had an option, when ever I had an option I was only happy to take it. Weddings and other functions were my experiment grounds. I've to admit I haven't embarrassed myself doing it, at least that’s what I'd like to believe, but it was never a 100% satisfactory performance and I was never at ease doing it. Now, I will have no qualms mixing rice and curry. In fact, I may become an expert at it. Probably, I will open a school for all the people who are absolutely incompetent, like I once *was*, in mixing rice curry. I may even win an award for my social service activities of enlightening people of this wonderful art. The possibilities are countless.

This also means that I don't have to hang my head in shame when my 8 year old niece is telling me about how she is so adept at handling rice curry and I, so inept at the same task. Now, she will not dare to talk to me when we are having food together. She did giggle and make fun of me for the first two days, but even she has started taking me seriously after a week's marathon. She sees a responsible individual who needs no hand holding when he feels hungry. In summary, it is a wonderful feeling that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I've overcome an obstacle that seemed insurmountable till last week. Today, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all those wonderful ladies who've helped me with my disability. My sisters, mum-in-law, aunts, mums of few of my friends, and finally, my lovely wife, thank you !

And Thank you Maa !

P.S : I am a 26 year old "boy" who is already married for more than two years. This is just to emphasize how important an achievement this is. You got to appreciate it !