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AGEING WITH GRACEtc "AGEING WITH GRACE"

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.