A Mixer Jar’s story

I am new here today. The family is excited to run the Mixer for the first time. I am the eldest of the three jars. I am taller, my blades are broader but not as sharp and I can hold about 1.5 litres of stuff. I have a handle and a lid and South Indian households typically use me to make vegetable soups, batters of various  kinds for their dosa and many spice blends for their half a dozen varieties of sambhar.

I am sparkling clean and have this squeaky shine on me today. I am generally very happy and designed to be useful.

Here, the lady opens the lid and puts in about a kilo of some pulse mix in. Closes the lid as quickly and turns the mixer knob to full speed. My blades do the job of the grind and before I can even begin to understand what was the spice mix I just spent time grinding, she puts a spoon inside and ruffles the mix a bit. Another churn and I guess she is happy that the mix came out to her expectation. There seems to be a contented look on her face. Looks like it is Sambhar mix, as she immediately put a heap of it into whatever was cooking on the stove top.

She seems busy, so my lid is back on my head and I am left to sit in a corner of the kitchen table watching the scene of the house.

I see this woman walking in and out of the kitchen, and could hear the little children’s hustle and bustle , a distant bus horn and a noisy morning traffic too. Suddenly it all came to a sudden stop. I went off to sleep too.

I have been thinking about a quick wash after the sambhar powder business, but it didn’t happen. 

In the evening or probably around the time when I heard the vessels being washed in the kitchen, I was hoping that I would also be taken off for a quick wash. Another lady, quite a machine at her business of cleaning, picked me up gently and placed it in another corner of the kitchen table. I waited and waited and waited.

It was dusk I guess. I could hear the kids again. The lady of the house was busy walking in and out of the kitchen. She picked me up twice I recall, only to place me in a different pedestal. Wonder why these South Indian homes are always so busy making food!!!

Suddenly, the lights went out and I looked around to see that the little patch of sky that I could see from the window pane had turned dark too. Which can only mean it was night and that I am not getting the most needed wash today!.

I decided to sleep it off.

In the morning or I assume it was, because the sky patch was still dark and the lady of the house was already in the kitchen. She must be having an early start, I guessed. Otherwise why would she work like a night owl in the kitchen at eerie hours!!. It should be the wee hours of morning! She was not making too much noise, so I thought I could just sleep a little longer.

Suddenly I saw my lid being opened and the contents checked.  By the way, I forgot that somewhere during the mid-day yesterday, someone came by and emptied my jar and left me back in the same place!! and this lady had no clue too.

This lady was kind enough to ensure that I got a wash today. She put me in the kitchen sink with the other utensil friends of mine, so I got a few minutes of networking time!. The maid came by and washed me clean and I feel quite fresh now.

What is funny in the whole episode is that, people thought there was something inside my jar and kept moving it places on the kitchen table but no one ever bothered opening to check. When I was emptied, I wished that I could get a wash but was put aside too, only to be moved further by others in the house thinking I had something in!!!.

It seems a practice in this house to keep the kitchen utensils colander outside for some sunshine!. It feels good too!

"Good morning, Merry Sunshine!!! I sang”

Just like the Mixer jar being moved from one place to another assuming there was something in it, we all misunderstand/assume things about ourselves and people. We keep moving the thoughts, brushing aside the concerns, repositioning the emotions, dragging the problems, postponing the confrontations, and avoiding the realities.

It takes an effort to open the lids to the people’s mind ( mixer jar ) with their willingness, but it is definitely worth your time. Sometimes, all it takes to feel good is emptying of the mind’s contents, a good rejuvenating scrub of the mind with new perspectives, thoughts, healing touch/talk/words and few introspecting moments that can bring out the shine in our minds. 

Is your mixer jar clean and empty to churn again? Think about it!