THREE SMILES FOR THE OLD MAN

I am growing old. No, correction, I AM old and growing older every day. 

That brings its own problems. Even if one has no serious issues, fair wear and tear is inevitable. Some pain there yesterday, some pain here today, wrinkles, dry skin, belly fat, visits to the toilet, cataract, hearing loss etc., etc., afflict most old folks. I remember reading a piece by the late Khushwant Singh in his well-read column, "With Malice Towards One And All", that he used to have around a dozen red, white, green pills with breakfast every morning. I laughed a lot then but now I realise I need not much less!

The ailments often lead to misunderstandings. Hearing loss is difficult for youngsters to understand who think one is not paying attention. A 'beg your pardon' from a young person is accepted as normal and the speaker has no problem in repeating what he said. But the phrase is taboo for an old man as it would invite impatience from the speaker and scorn on the oldie’s hearing. To avoid that, old folks often nod their head in agreement with something said though they might not have fully understood it. They are also wary of telephone conversations which too might lead to complications because of lack of comprehension.

A siesta is another requirement of most old folks and is mine too. Often people take it that they are unwelcome if the old man is trying to find time for it.

Unless one is cantankerous, and I do agree that quite a few are, most old folks need patience, sympathy and understanding. This in today's busy and fast-moving world is not an easy ask.

It is with these ruminations that I set out for my evening walk on Shanti Path today. The mind was fairly negative when I saw a policeman coming from the opposite direction. As the cop passed me, he smiled and raised his hand in salute. I was surprised as Indian cops are not usually known for such courtesies. I immediately responded to his salute and smiled back at him.

My mood lifted a bit and I was still thinking about the exceptional policeman when I saw a lad in his 20s on his run approaching me. He too gave me a big smile and nodded in a greeting as he passed by. Wow, what was happening today? Most youngsters are so engrossed looking at their smart watches and timing themselves that they scarcely notice anyone other than a pretty girl.

My walk over, I was climbing the stairs to my apartment in a much uplifted mood when I saw a 3-year old girl accompanied by her mother, ayah and others coming down. The little angel smiled, folded her hands and said a loud 'namaste' to me surprising even the ladies who were with her.

Three big smiles for the old man. God must be in His Heaven and all must be right with the world.

Hip-hip-hip-hooray!!!