About Me — Binder
Perhaps I’m a coffee colored unicorn with a dark sense of humor…
It’s an odd thing to introduce yourself to the world. Being an introvert, that is a lot of raw exposure to deal with. I might just be the consummate hermit with a small select group of trusted friends that ventured into writing in a most unusual way.
I believe I’m a scientist at heart. Two decades ago I ventured into Materials Science in the hopes of working with batteries and fuel cells for a greener future. Life and plans derailed a bit but I’ve been blessed with so many rich experiences - failures, setbacks, and lessons included.
The last few years have been a roller coaster of emotions for me. I’ve learned and unlearned much about my country of birth, Canada, my current home, the US, and my perceived role in the world. After a few run-ins with local government and some overt experiences with misogyny and racism, I felt the need to write about my experiences. My hope, in some small way, is to leave the world a better place. I believe in a world where my children, where all children can fulfill their potential, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender. As naive and Miss America as it sounds, I’m sticking with this goal.
The truth about me: I’m tenaciously stubborn, incredibly hot-tempered, and don’t suffer fools easily. I don’t have much pride or ego and will readily apologize or admit when I’m wrong. My ovaries still scream at the sight of babies, puppies, and great fathers with their children. I love music of all kinds - my dream is to one day hear Samuel Barber’s Adagio for strings live. I’m a dedicated yogi, meditator, and fitness fanatic. Because of Covid, I have missed kickboxing and BJJ so much this year. What I would give to have my training partner hand me my ass again.
For some super silly awesomeness (I love you, mom!) my full name is Dalbinder which translates into — drum roll — army of God in heaven. I bet she regretted that after I borrowed my brother’s car without asking and gave her grey hair far too early.
I’ve vowed to at least try most things that life has to offer — adventure racing, fried larva, and giving birth to two beasts are up there on the list. Sometimes I’m 46 going on 18 and why not? Life is far too short for my taste.
Nature is my home. I’m happiest outside, hiking, silent, listening. Silence is easy for me, I could easily go a week without talking to another soul. Traveling, learning, and eating make me infinitely happy. A shared meal in the presence of good company and a decent glass of wine are food for the soul. People that cook for me have a special place in my heart. Slow thinking, the long game, and delayed gratification are my jam; I’ve almost perfected them as an endurance sport. I have an intensely curious mind and am currently obsessed with consciousness, time, quantum entanglements, a dash of Buddhism, and the meeting of quantum physics with gravitational theory.
My secret fantasy is a world in balance, full of educated citizens, independent thinkers, and democratic values. Rule of law, cooperative competition, and integrity are of paramount importance to me. Fiscally conservative and socially liberal are a tough combination in the US right now. True freedom is the privilege to be openly gay, straight, black, white, the shades of purple in between, and to worship as a person sees fit as long as you harm no one. Do no harm. It’s such a simple tenet of life. We will always create ripples but we can try and have little or no negative impact. I dare to dream of a world that respects scientific thought, literature, art, and all things that stir the soul more than six-pack abs or fake boobs. (I’m still going to ogle your six-pack abs though!).
I grew up in a fairly traditional Sikh household to immigrant parents that taught me the value of family, community, and service. I will forever be grateful for them and the sometimes painful lessons life presented us as a family. It’s helped me see the world with more clarity and nuance than I could have imagined. Suffering can be a path to many things, sometimes a brutal one but it certainly builds character. I have no illusions about the future and the daunting tasks at hand. I just know I can’t, won’t, don’t have it in me to quit. I still dream of a still life full of quiet, solitude, and peace. A life of ease after 2020 would be ever so welcome!
Writing about big ideas is easy. Writing about myself is so infinitely more intimate. But I understand, in exposure, we see each other’s humanity and this is when mutual vulnerability and commonality can be found if we choose to find it. My heart and intuition have finally reached a consensus about this. The truth about ‘us’ and ‘them’ — we are simultaneously alone and unified. Our actions are forever perpetuating this cycle. If we can hold those two incongruent views of existence in mind when planning the future, humanity will be just fine. Think a few generations into the future. The suffering of an individual can have a great impact on the collective and the converse is obviously also true.
I hope the lessons of 2020 will help us heal, develop a ferocious tenacity, rethink our priorities, and pivot towards a sustainable, inclusive, balanced future. Thanks for reading, I’ve enjoyed my time on Medium. It’s been cathartic and I’ve learned so very much.
