Growing Old

Unfortunately, I do not have any grandparent in my family. However, sometimes I do meet very old people who, even if unknown and stranger, treat everybody as kid, and are very frank and casual in their conversation. I cannot say anything to these seniors, it would be improper. Their times were different, their experiences are different, and that time has passed. There can be no possibility of turning the clock back.

However, one day I too would reach that stage. Surely, yes. Hence I address myself and people in my and the next generation to look forward to what is waiting for us in the advanced years of our lives. I am not talking about pension issues, poor-health, or other physical and emotional problems that might turn up, though by all means, I pray that nothing of the sort comes in our lives. Everybody knows about such issues, movies and TV serials have been made on them, newspapers and magazines have been reporting on these topics. I want to talk about something else.

Old age is not an incident that happens suddenly and takes us by surprise. Instead, it is something inevitable that everyone has to come face to face someday. Even the time for it is fixed, with some small changes for different cases. So it does not make sense to curse our old age and the turmoil it brought along, when it surely had to come up.

The basic idea is not to just advance in age; instead to become mature and wise. Yes, we would have limitations in physical and other ways, but that would be the age when the world and the next generations would need us most, when our contribution to development of the younger generation ought to be the maximum. Our experience and the wisdom we gained from our journey all these years are very precious. Of course, the problems of a day may not have solutions in methods of the past. We need to keep examining our ideas and renew them, polish them regularly to keep them fresh and up-to-date. That is when experience becomes wisdom. Yes, we may not find the youth and the next generations treating us fairly; we could be abused, pushed around. But considering the attitude and practices prevalent in society, is it really a surprise? There is no reason to fall into gloom and depression, and feel neglected and dejected. And no reason to curse the youth, the government, and everybody else. We would only have to remember that whatever be the calendar year, the next generation would always require the elderly for advice, suggestion, and above all, love. I would not write anything about what to do and how to do. I am not an expert who could offer educated suggestions. You would find very good guidance in electronic media and books. My concern is solely on the preparation made before reaching that age. It is not a work that could be done on the night before and that’s that. Getting old and mature is a slow process, it is all about getting wiser day by day. That would make our life beautiful and meaningful till the last moment.

photo credit: Over the hills and far away. via photopin (license)