AGEING WITH GRACE
Prof. Hazara
Singh
Growing upto
prime and then start ageing towards mortal end constitute the march of
biological life. But human beings are
peculiar among the zoological species, because they have a mind to feel as to
what is good or bad; brain to think as to what is correct or incorrect, and to
crown all, aesthetic sense to distinguish between beauty and ugliness. for those, who develop these talents, life
becomes an art, because they can formulate attitudes for getting better
individually as well as collectively.
They, who remain deficient in the growth of a balanced personality, lead
life as a routine, regulated by traditional custom and beliefs.
Divisions of Life
Span of life has two broad divisions, viz. functions of life and the art of life. The former includes acquiring education,
finding employment and rearing of a family.
Period of life up to twenties is called heat due to enthusiasm bubbling
from youthfulness and thereafter up to fifty or so, it is considered as power,
for it is directed to attaining position and prestige. Ageing begins to show its symbols, if the
life thereafter is to be led as an art; or its symptoms, if it is suffered as
existence, when one enters fifties.
For
discovering the glory of art of living, persons with attitude, start
preparing themselves for retirement or
for entering the period of light, where base sentiments like envy and hate have
no place and lofty values like appreciation and cooperation become the way of
life. Thus an ageing person remains a
cheerful young old man till his end.
Persons without Attitudes
Persons without attitude fall into four
categories. First, who consider working
as the sole purpose of life. They do
not know mostly how to spend their earning for a better living. Being ignorant of the value of leisure, they
succumb to overwork during the period of ageing or by the time they are to
retire.
Second, who
have not learnt to live within their means. Even after retirement their search
for hired work continues. They do not
collapse like the first category, but keep cringing for a few years more.
Third, who
have a single track brain, retire with sufficient means, but do not know how to
enjoy leisure, because they do not have any recreative hobby. They feel isolated and begin to wither.
Fourth, who
retire at the prime of power and prestige, supported by perks, and, are given
to shouting at juniors to pass off accountability. They face a sudden vacuum, with none to run at their command and
with no perks to keep their life comfortable.
As they have not learnt the value of a smile and self-possession, they
start wilting.
For these
categories, the first two years after retirement are a period of
adjustment. As they lack such an
attitude, majority of them pass away with an epitaph. ‘They worked and perished
thereafter’.
Period of Light
Now, about
the remaining few who prepare themselves for leading post-retirement life as an
art, that is those who manage to convert their heat and power into light. They are unlike the recluses of past, who
resorted to renunciation for achieving salvation. This section of society, which retires from employment but does
not retreat from the worldly scene, started evolving, when the world tended to
gatecrash into modern age under the impact of progressive ideas and scientific
discoveries. They understand that:
i) Life on earth is not a punishment, but an
achievement through evolution; and
ii) The
ultimate aim of the life is not to seek union with God, but to leave this world
better than the one in which they have been born.
These two
basic departures from the past beliefs hold firmly that the golden age is not
behind but ahead of us and the world, purged of ignorance, want, squalor and
disease will be a virtual heaven. The
number of such persons, who manage to transform their heat and the power of the
light is on gradual increase. They are
not mere ‘senior citizens’, a lip courtesy shown to them, but ‘saner citizens’,
who hold a hope for tomorrow.
All is not lost
Let us
explore, whether those persons, who normally perish during the two fateful
years following retirement, have any chance to escape the catastrophe and live
thereafter with the grace, which adorns old age. Here are a few suggestions for them.
i) If you can
cheer anybody, make a determined effort to get rid of the harmful habit of
jeering, nagging, snubbing and frowning.
The latter indulgence not only adds to the number of foes, but also
increases tension unnecessarily.
Stop also whining about what you were denied in career
making. Such a repining is a continuous
self-inflicted torture. After the game
has been played, forgetting and forgiving is an act of serenity.
ii) There is
a bewitching as well as soothing charm in the life outside the one made cosey
and protective by costly electrical gadgets and interior decoration. The lonesomeness or boredom to which you
fall a prey so often can be kept off, if you learn to tune yourself to the
music of life i.e. watching from a corner children at play, strolling in the
blooming parks, observing change of seasons, grandeur of setting sun or of a
moon-lit night. Self-imposed isolation
leads to decay whereas appreciation of natural beauty often helps a withered mind
to blossom.
iii) Do not
be tempted to nibble every now and then.
In a developing society, a few die of starvation but many dig their
graves with their teeth. Judicious
control over tongue, whether it is palate or prattle, is a bliss-giving act.
iv) Make your
spouse, if she is a housewife, feel that she too shares the leisure offered by
retirement. A person can ward off the
nagging feeling of old age, if he gives up the keenness to enquire ‘what has
she cooked ?’ and learns instead to appreciate ‘how delightful she looks!’ This
attitude is worth developing, because most of the aged parents have to live
alone, with their offspring gone away in search of careers.
v) The
gnawing feeling that company of the old is shunned, their counsel ignored and
their existence over looked is an invitation to gloom. Self-pity is suicidal.
Do not forget
to send birthday and marriage anniversary greetings to dear and near ones. These are quite inexpensive gifts, but
valuable in effect which keeps the member of a family, even though living apart
or afar, emotionally tied with each other.
The
observance of these tips may impart amiability to behaviour, tranquility to
mind and clarity to thinking.
The Light
Those, who
have learnt the art of leading retired life, become living models of such
precepts as:
i) Cleanliness is complementary to
godliness.
i) Love is the most efficacious
remedy for every emotional malady.
iii) Smile costs little but gladdens
all.
iv) Truth is great, but truthful
living is self-rewarding.
v) Knowledge acquires depth and the
experience increases in worth, if shared.
They, thus, lead others with the kindly light, they emit.
Hope for posterity
What hope do
they hold for posterity? The number of Senior citizens is steadily increasing.
In developing countries they constitute seven to ten percent of the electorate.
If this sizeable section of electors,
Who are not tempted by material offers,
not deterred by muscle power,
not cajoled by self-seekers, however mighty, and
not swayed by slogans
exercise their franchise with their commitment to
dignity of an individual,
social justice for all, and
global peace
they are destined to improve
the
quality of elected governments.