#debsaristories #stereotype Today we performed puja at home, so naturally me and ma are draped in six yards. #kanjivaram #garad Me in almost twenty year old kanji.. ma in a traditional garad.. IT millenials are usually envisioned as geeky dressed in hoodies.. when I first joined my IT job, as a fresher showed up in saree on the third day at work (it was my birthday) at gurgaon. It was absolutely uncommon so many stopped by at lunch to congratulate me for my engagement (?) Wedding (?) Anniversary (?). I said.. none of the above. It dint make sense to them. Many eyes rolled some in confusion. But then I dont know why and how, I had the guts to wear sarees very frequently sometimes weekly too to work. While IT jobs gave many young girls an excuse to wear Jean and Tee on Fridays, most of my Fridays were in sarees. Seventeen years later, I realize that I dint fit the stereotype then and even today. Even after moving to USA I would show up at work in saree for no reason. That dint make a less smart coder or leader. Those are skills, this is my passion. There are many such stereotypes we have built in our minds (unintentional bias) I know by now many of you are nodding head acknowledging what we could possibly change within ourselves to cleanse that part and become little Better