Perseverance Is Stubbornness With a Purpose

Not just a job, its a way of life!

“I was 8 when I started selling vegetables. It wasn’t what I had imagined for myself, but I guess that’s what god had in store for me”.

Sheetal has lived in Mumbai ever since she was a little girl and has been selling vegetables with her mother ever since. She never went to school and never wanted the same for her children.

If you're willing to listen, there's a lot you can hear.

Her husband is an auto driver in Borivali east. The two of them together have put their two daughters through graduation and their son through post graduation.

Her story is a true testament to the fact that determination and perseverance can get you the things you want. It also reminds us of the number of stories that go unheard or worse, untold.

This is an article I wrote for an assignment two weeks ago. We had to go and interview people about their lives, like a Humans Of Bombay type of thing. This whole process challenged me a lot in terms of my skills as a writer, narrator and interviewer but more importantly, it opened my eyes to a whole other world.

Coming from a 'privileged' background, this interview made me realize how much we take for granted. There is so much we have to be thankful for. In my opinion, there's so much we can do to give back, not just monetarily but just by listening to these people. Sometimes they just want somebody to talk to. To be honest, I found it really wonderful to talk to Sheetal about her life because, there's so much to learn form them. I really think that we can make a real difference if we give them our time and listen to what they have to say.

Xoxo Erica