The Lonely Voyage -- Old Age.
A lazy and dull winter afternoon.
Yesterday it was about midnight when I received a message from a friend on WhatsApp. It was a picture message. Roughly describing, it showed the three stages of life and mocked at the timing of the things which we own at each stage.
When we see an old man plying on a scooter alone, we think how happy their lives are. They don't have a tension in the world. But at wintry nights, when we happen to share our beds with our near and dear ones, they sit on a chair near a fireplace in an empty house, tuned in to retro music.
Tuned in to Pink Floyd's "High Hopes".
It is the time for the semester exams in my college. But it is a Saturday, the day which I eagerly wait for -- the day to publish a blog again.
Yesterday it was about midnight when I received a message from a friend on WhatsApp. It was a picture message. Roughly describing, it showed the three stages of life and mocked at the timing of the things which we own at each stage.
- Teenage, when we have enough time and energy but we lack money, which is obviously understood by all college or school going students at a point of time.
- When we are in a job is the period when we lack time, but we have enough energy and money.
- Old Age, when we have both time and money, but lack energy.
This message got me thinking and thus my blog this week.
Is energy is the only thing we lack when we become old?
As had been said by Warnick in 1995:
Aging is a series of processes that begin with life and continue throughout the life cycle. It represents the closing period in the lifespan, a time when the individual looks back on life, lives on past accomplishments and begins to finish off his life course. Adjusting to the changes that accompany old age requires that an individual is flexible and develops new coping skills to adapt to the changes that are common to this time in their lives.
Loneliness or loss of company is one of the most commonly faced woes of old age. Old souls find themselves abstract and not being able to communicate with the present world. It is because of many reasons, one of which will always remain to be the huge generation gap. The ever-changing world. How can they connect to the present world, when we, in our early or mid 20s, feel a gap between us and the school going students now-a-days?
A popular joke in Facebook says, when we were in Standard Five, we thought about cricket matches. But what do the present Standard Five guys do? WhatsApp and Facebook. When we used to worry about what would happen to our favourite cartoon serials in the next episode, children are now worrying when will the next iPhone be launched.
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| When no one is there, there is myself. |
Another most discussed reason of loneliness among males is the death of their better halves.
"When women die, people drift away from the man left behind", says John, 73, a widower to a BBC journalist.They find themselves out of piece and are not able to fit in with the present generation. And the more they try to fit in, they feel older.
When we see an old man plying on a scooter alone, we think how happy their lives are. They don't have a tension in the world. But at wintry nights, when we happen to share our beds with our near and dear ones, they sit on a chair near a fireplace in an empty house, tuned in to retro music.
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| Returning to an empty bed. |
Old-age homes are present in almost every city in today's world. The people who think it is a burden to look after their old parents must opt for old-age homes than making them suffer by keeping them alone. Or, just try to cooperate with them. Think what they suffered to bring you up. Think what tantrums we used to throw in childhood. And think what they want now. Maybe, just a dinner with the whole family at night would suffice.
Make them happy. Maybe, we would want the same when we would be old. Give them some time. Be blessed.
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