Random Thoughts on Random Words - Day 15 Old

When we think of old songs, eyes moisten, tenderness enters the heart and the thought pops up  "Old is truly gold. Where do we get lyrics and music of such depth and  quality these days?".  Old memories from childhood brings feelings of happiness and nostalgia, be it the little pranks at school or about the sweet delicacy mother used to make during festivals. When you visit ancient temples, you marvel at the beauty of the intricate art work and the skill of the artisans. The same feelings are evoked when you see heritage buildings from the British times or while gazing at the Tajmahal. Yet, when it comes to old age in human beings, the thoughts are not positive or encouraging. It goes something like this-  "This person has crossed his/her prime and can now be only of nuisance value." 

Old people are  seen as grumpy, rigid,  complaining and unnecessarily poking their noses into others affairs. There is a self fulfilling prophecy at work here. Society's expectations has been for old people to be less and less active with each passing year. This in turn affects the perception that 'old' people have about themselves.  Many see "retirement' from the  job as a retirement from life itself. This is a story from a company that I worked in at Bangalore. Our Director (HR) was a physically fit  person who took care of his health, engaging regularly in badminton and other physical activities.

 In fact he looked a lot younger than his chronological age. Therefore, it was a surprise for many of us  when we learnt that he was retiring in a month's time. Closer to the date of retirement, there were a few farewell get togethers organized by various groups of employees. The grand company farewell was on the date of retirement. I noticed that the officer's body language changed with each such meet, and on the last day he looked so much older than he did a month ago!     

This reminds me of another incident that happened many years earlier in 1981 to the  time I had joined my first job as management trainee, at VISL Bhadravati . I was posted to Executive establishment wing of HR (called personnel those days). A  few days into my posting, a gentleman visited the office and was introduced to me as a retired manager of the company. As an excited young man in the early days of his first job, I greeted the gentleman warmly and expressed the wish for a happy and rewarding retired life. 

His response was lukewarm and the word he had used to describe himself was shocking to me as I had never heard of that word earlier. He said "what future do we have? we are now  deadwood."  I simply could  not imagine that a human being comparing himself to wood and 'dead' at that. Although shaken, I told him that he has a long innings ahead of him and wished him well.

Contrast this with a conversation I had with a colleague  in another company who was narrating the story of a senior citizen back in his hometown. The 'old' man used to go to a public tap to collect water and take it daily for use at home. Greeting him on his 70th birthday, couple of youngsters said"Grandpa, you are now 70 years old. Don't strain yourself anymore; take rest. Tomorrow onward, we will  carry the water and bring it your house." Grandpa told them  "Till yesterday, I was good and strong enough to carry the water. What has happened in one day that I have become old and infirm, unfit to carry the water?"  

In his book "Ageless body, timeless mind", Dr Deepak Chopra talks about this very phenomenon of human being's  poor model of aging. It  accepts the idea that getting old means pain, intellectual decay and inactivity. According to the author, people can be healthy and alert even as they age if they continue to engage in mental, social and intellectual activity. 

At the Mysore complex of BEML Ltd, on the last day of the month, the retiring employees are given a memento  along with their cheques of  PF and gratuity. It usually happens in the executive Director's chamber where the only ones present are ED,  I (as HR Head of division)  and the retiring employees. The message of the ED each time was the same." You have been working in the company for so many years. The company not only gave you salary but also the discipline on how to utilize your time. You knew you had to be ready by 6  AM everyday in order to be able to catch the company bus. You remained productive for eight hours. From tomorrow onward , the big change that is going to happen is that there would be  no pressure on you to get up from bed at a particular time, to keep yourself busy and healthy." 

 The gist of what he was telling was that without a clear purpose for living, people tend to drift, lose focus, become lazy and lose interest in life itself.  Therefore, he advised the employees to have a fixed time for waking up and engage in other activities- Part time work  if still wishing to work , reading, gardening or social service activities. 

To my mind, this was sound advice by the ED. I used to tell myself, even as I listened to him that I need to do exactly that when I retire. I am happy to confirm that I have been able to follow that advice effectively post my retirement. It is said that "an idle mind is a devil's workshop". It is when you are idle that you tend to notice 'slights' real or imaginary or have the tendency to  poke your nose in other's business. I had read somewhere that the  elderly  should be like the dictionary, which does not run around offering knowledge but gives only when  consulted. 

One matter that is of concern as  a person ages is that of health. In this connection it is important to ensure that we engage in physical exercise/ activities. Anything not used for a long time, tends to be  lost forever,  be it physical or mental muscles/ faculties. Louise Hay the author of the book "You can heal your Life" says "   Filling your  mind with pleasant thoughts is the quickest road to health." She advises also to "Love yourself"  and avoid  complaining,  blaming, whining, and choosing to feel lonely. It means being very content with yourself in the present moment and choosing to think thoughts that make you feel good now. 

I would like to end this post with the wisdom shared by Dr B.M.Hegde who is a critic of unnecessary medication which is a bane of modern living. According to him the surest way of being healthy and happy is to have a definite purpose, a mission for life (Should not end with retirement from a job) , an  enthusiasm to work and an attitude of "Love all, hate none". These tips that we discussed, it is earnestly  hoped will motivate all of us to live a fruitful life, irrespective of  age which in anyway has been described by some as "just a number" As Walt Disney said " Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age.And dreams are for ever."    

NB: This is powered by Blog Chatter's # A2Z Challenge   Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2021