Life at 91 years

Yesterday while waiting for my turn at the hospital a person walked in introducing himself in a loud and convinced voice. The astounding nature of the address made me look at him before I got back into the book that I was reading. In a place like Tata Memorial Hospital it is common for people to show their positive side as everyone out there is fighting a battle and only way to emerge winner is by keeping up the spirit. However when the gentleman announced his age, a few heads turned around. At 91 years he looked fitter than an average senior citizen. From that very moment I was interested to strike a conversation with him because in today’s fast food world one rarely gets a chance to come in acquaintance with someone who has seen it all evolve in front of him. Like always the law attraction did the magic and created a situation wherein he had my uncle and me for his company in one corner of the waiting lounge.

The discussion began with both of us in awe of a person who had so much to share from his life experiences. Having witnessed nearly seven to eight generations unfold in front of his eyes he had stories that ranged from A to Z of life. The intense knowledge sharing session which lasted for around three hours created a student teacher bond between us. It was a delight to observe that at an age where many would not have ever dreamt to reach he was in control of his mind and had mastered his thoughts. His words were as sweet as nectar even though he spoke the naked reality of today’s world and the logic behind the occurrences that have surmounted today’s media crazy society.

The topics varied from world politics, government policies to the philosophy of life to the existence of God and he was as updated as a current quiz champion. He spoke his heart out and with that won our hearts. All his statements were nothing less than a verdict which could be not be challenged because he communicated what he meant and it signified truth. Among the various things that covered the duration of our meet what stood out as a message to the society were two facts that were filled with cent percent commonsense. Happiness is a scarce commodity in today’s society and it calls for immediate attention. He felt that human beings are to be held responsible for such a situation to have been presented to the most intelligent species of earth. In the process of making fast deals man has slightly miscalculated the equation and the gap continues to grow with every passing era. The concept of happiness lies within and over time mankind has reduced its effort to spend time with him/herself. It has led to the rise in the demand for God as the belief that irrespective of what one commits, right or wrong – one visit to a temple is the solution to every problem has blinded the society. However the reality is that every human being is himself a form of God and the body is the temple. Worshipping one’s own body by taking proper care of it and loving it with utmost precision should be the focus for everyone. If one can love his/her own self and spread the spirit of joy then attaining peace of mind would not be the hottest topic of discussion in various spiritual forums.

At 91, he is confident of scaling the 100 years mark because he knows the mantra to achieve it is to have a positive attitude and adapt to the changing society. With an open mind and the ‘can do’ spirit he is looking forward to celebrate his centenary year. The kind of live wire he presented himself to be I am certain that he has many more years of societal contribution left in his kitty before he decides to call it a day.

Having met someone who is a Sachin Tendulkar in the field of life I have mentally marked an age till when I want to remain alive with a perfect state of physical and mental being. With the spirit that he has injected into me there is only one way forward and that is to attain my target.

As the session came to an end when it was time to say good bye my uncle and me touched his feet for his blessings. His hand on our head was a significant moment which indicated that after having undergone the ordeal for a quarter it was time to begin life fresh. There are good things waiting to happen in the near future and the time has come to visualize and accelerate the speed towards those moments that are waiting to be captured. Change is the ubiquitous aspect of life and interaction with such individuals prepares one to brace the transformations with a positive attitude and spirit.