Hi, I am Badsah “The MukhMan” Mukherji. I’m a software product management professional in Silicon Valley. In order to give my children access to good public schools, I live in a pricey van by the creek in a nice part of Palo Alto, CA. Alright, it’s not that drastic, but we do have only one bathroom and two daughters. A striking fact worth mentioning and relevant to my blog is that our neighboring city of East Palo Alto is impoverished and lacking resources. How is it that an affluent community such as Palo Alto can exist and thrive right next to a town bearing almost the same name? And how can we address this extreme gap?
I spent most of my childhood in the Bronx (New York City, for the unfamiliar) with parents who came to the U.S. with not much more than a commitment to education and aspirations for me and my brothers. When I turned thirteen, I also had the privilege of returning to my native Calcutta (OK, it’s called Kolkata now, whatever) and attending a tough boarding school for boys run by Hindu monks, in rural West Bengal. After returning from India, I finished high school in the San Francisco Bay Area, then left for Harvard College to do my undergraduate degree. I had to claw my way through those four years, paying for expenses at one of the most expensive institutions of higher education through work-study, grants, scholarships, and student loans. At the end, when I finally got my reward, it was bittersweet. However, the experience made me recognize the value of a good education and the fruit of hard work.
From a young age, I realized how fortunate I am to have the life I have. I’ve seen a lot of poverty and sickness in two countries. Some people I have associated with have dedicated their entire lives to helping those in need. Others may be wealthy in terms of money and material riches, but are ignorant about or, even worse, totally indifferent to the pain and suffering that surrounds them. In between are the majority of us who feel sorry for those less fortunate than us, but are generally too busy or too passive to get up and take action. I used to be active in community service before becoming a parent of two. I now realize that for those of us in this middle group, we can still contribute in small ways. Taking action and raising a family do not have to be mutually exclusive. In fact, community service is an excellent way for a family to come together as a team, and for every member of the family to get a sense of fulfillment that I at least don’t feel doing any other kind of activity.
Which takes us back to the purpose of this blog. There are people nearby who need assistance in many different ways. I want to recognize the people who are providing that assistance in various ways, no matter how small their contributions. I hope you will find my blog educational.
