Books
"When Did You Know?"
by INNI KAUR
Since the publication of my book, Journey with the Gurus, the one question I get asked repeatedly is, " When did you know you wanted to be a writer?"
I pause.
I reflect.
I remember around age fifteen, the thought of perhaps becoming a kindergarten teacher started taking shape. Being surrounded by the cutest and most adorable toddlers (my cousins) may have helped in the decision. Being with them was pure joy. Seeing their eyes light up when they recognized an alphabet or something new was a high for me.
Yes! A kindergarten teacher is what I wanted to be.
Or so I thought!
Somewhere between the ages of sixteen and eighteen that idea went out the door.
I excelled in school.
Therefore, most naturally I wanted to go to America for further studies.
My father, who adored me, shot down that idea in an instant.
Instead, I was packed off and sent to a College in Dalhousie, a remote hill-station in India, where I would be safe. The town certainly lived up to its reputation. It was Dull + Lousy.
My teachers were lifeless.
I did miserably.
My joy of learning was gone.
Years later, it was the birth of my first child - the most perfect baby - that changed my life.
With her by my side, I blossomed.
The first five years of her life were magical for me.
Her thrill of discovering the world around her was infectious.
It ignited my passion to learn.
I started taking evening classes on diverse subjects.
My joy and thirst for learning was back.
Daughter No. 2 arrived. A sparkling star!
I continued with my learning.
I made a pact with myself: To try and learn something new every year.
And that I did.
Somewhere along the way I started to look within.
Don' t quite know why.
That was the turning point in my life.
Looking within was painful.
There was much that needed to be worked on.
I toiled.
I suffered.
There was much to chisel.
Somewhere along this sculpting process, I started to write.
Poetry flowed.
It was in the air.
All I did was to catch it.
Prose followed.
So how do I answer the question, " When did you know you wanted to be a writer?"
The truth is, "The writing found me."
[Inni Kaur is the author of the recently released and much acclaimed children' s book, Journey With The Gurus, which is available at www.JourneyWithTheGurus.com.]
January 2, 2011
Conversation about this article
1: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), January 02, 2011, 6:28 PM.
An inquisitive, creative, sensitive mind looking for equipoise that eventually settled like a babbling brook that has found its song. Bless you, Inni ji, for sharing the budding moment and flowering of a poet. I do wish you had mentioned the saint savant Bhai Vir Singh ji that I know you hold in such high reverence and love, and the influence he had on you. Take Puran Singh. One touch of Bhai Sahib brought peace to the raging and restless river that settled and found home in the great ocean. In his own words, Puran Singh said that the glint in his eyes and the spontaneous outpouring of the song was Bhai Sahib's gift. Please, Inni ji, tell us of your own experience and the influence he has had on you. I know of hundreds of others who became poets by his mere 'touch'. Let's talk about you.
2: Parveen Kaur (Redwood City, California, U.S.A.), January 02, 2011, 11:47 PM.
I absolutely LOVED reading this. You have a beautiful way with words and I am so happy that your life lead you to what you are doing today. I hope your words continue to inspire many more Sikh women around the world - as they do me!
3: Kanwal Kundhal (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada), January 05, 2011, 3:13 PM.
You chiseled your thoughts into a praise-worthy sculpture through the medium of poetry. Inni ji, I deeply would like to congratulate you for taking this step to lead Sikh women to come forward to prove their creative strength.