It is often seen that the old aged ones sit idly at one
place allotted to them in their homes. It is seen that no one listens to them,
with an excuse of not having enough time. It is seen that teenagers flinch when
the elderly ones begin with their tales. It is seen, yet ignored. No one cares.
Why should they? They’re of a different era, have things to tell, that can’t be
applied today. Right? No. Wrong.
I’ve always lived away from relatives, and with a bunch of
three others, like a nuclear family. For the first time, have I got a chance to
live with my grandmother, and experiences with her have been worthwhile!
Every time I’m away from magnetism or Einstein’s energy-mass
conversions, I find myself beside her. I’ve heard her for over a year now. It’s
been thought provoking.
The way she thinks is like what babies do today. The way she
sees things, in their simple and pristine form is what sets her aside from the ‘mechanized’
adults of the generation, her sons and daughter. Wishing
for a simple life, longing only for necessities, having hardly any desires, she
laughs at us all getting clumsier and sillier in these times.
She described to me her village, and the customs they had
then. She told me about how bad it was for boys and girls to mingle. I learnt
that my great grandmother was a really strong lady and great grandfather a
poet! She told me storied about her childhood, and the friends she had then.
Times when she was much more naive than five year olds today. Times where they
didn’t know about bad things, nor did they ever crave to. Times when they had
little, but enough to set the family in an air of happiness and sheer.
There were questions asked to us on farewell, and I asked
her two.
The first question was, ‘If you could travel in time, what
time would you go in?’ She said (in Hindi) that she would go to the past, only
to lead the simpler life without phones and televisions. Times when time would
fly and yet there would be enough for family. When there was no wastage of
resources and each one had what he needed. When everyone was fit, and there
were no things as ‘pizzas aur tizzas’ as she put it. She showed no interest in
the future. It was nil.
This thought made we wonder that, man today wants to see the
future, where he is heading to (which certainly does not seem heavenly!) but no
one really wants to know where they’ve come from!
The second question I asked her was, ‘If you could choose an
age, which one would you choose?’ I thought she would say infancy, as I would.
But she had a different perception on that too! She said that she would choose
youth. Youth, the time when everyone could do their work themselves. No dependencies
on anyone! And when I asked her, ‘Why not babyhood?’ She said, she wouldn’t
choose that under any circumstances! The reason being that the baby doesn’t
know who he is. He doesn’t know his surroundings. A young man knows himself,
his aim, and can work for the world. She pointed out to that fact, that we’re
humans, the superior race. We need to know, understand and work.
So, that old lady, or the old man, who sits idly has lots
going on in their minds. They have tons to share and tons to grab. Learn from
them, and make them learn. (Like I taught mine the life cycle of a malaria
parasite and interactions in a honeycomb.) It’s an experience that will teach
you morals.
A few things may sound silly. But, don’t forget to sit silently,
and while you meditate (if you do) or maybe, whenever you’re alone, away from
the ‘gadgets’. You could ask your inner-self, only to know that their
experience isn’t lying. They know the mystic works of the world!
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| Daadi. |
