This one for the Silvers

If it wasn’t for the supplement in the Times of India, titled “The Golden Years”, I would not have known that the International Day for Elderly had come calling upon us today i.e. 1st October 2011. The UN General Assembly chose October 1 as the Day for the Older Persons or Elderly, (while 15th June is the “World No Elder Abuse day”). The observance of the various International Days instituted to remember one or the other segments of our society, have been something like a buzzer on our cell phones urging us to think about some aspect of our lives that need our attention – often all around the year! Had it not been for the efforts of organizations like the Dignity Foundation and Harmony for Silvers Foundation, amongst others, who have been addressing the problems and needs for a better deal for the ageing citizens in their autumnal period of their lives, several facilities - like reserved seats in BEST buses or separate queues for tickets at public places, concessional train fares – would have never been have offered today.

With several advancements in medicine and surgery, the average life-span has been increased significantly in recent times. The outcome is that a larger part of our population is ageing/aged than ever before! Although it is a natural process that all of us do go through sometime in life, (unless fate snatches one away a bit early), most of us usually do not know how to cope with this phenomenon of ageing.

The earliest jolt one gets is economic in nature – the phenomenon of “retirement” that salaried employees encounter at the age of 58 or 60, depending on the company that employs you. One cannot really complain about the world being selectively wicked for retiring folks – primarily because it can be cruel to one and all – the young and the old - with its financial misadventures, that very few of us can understand! But many retired people today are able to get a ‘decent’ post-retired assignment or full-time job to spend their productive time and earn a reasonably good earnings to take care of bills to pay. Perhaps a separate website/portal for post-retired job-seekers in India would be of great help to society in these times – of the types that have come up in some other countries already!

Once past this productive years, one is prompted by nature to withdraw gradually to a less active life, without really withdrawing socially. It is the time when one wants to still call the shots, but don’t really have the grip on the changing times and soon youngsters, having access to latest trends take over the controls! This is the time when Seniors seek a “dignified” participation in family life. Dignity of the ageing is an important aspect at this juncture of their lives. But what exactly is Dignity? It could be importance, equality, equity, respect, gratitude, recognition, concern, remembrance and so on. Perhaps all of this!

When Mahadev Samjiskar, the senior citizen, who took up running the marathon after his retirement won the Gold Medal for the super-veteran category of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon in 2009, his medal was sent to him by courier some weeks after the event, while all the other category winners were awarded their medals by leading celebrities immediately after the event! This did not go down well for the sprinting silver phenomenon – he immediately expressed his disappointment at such secondary treatment for senior citizen. If the organizers could find time for the youngsters – how was it that they could not organize a decent award ceremony for the super-veteran category? The authorities later realized their mistake and invited him to their office and handed it as photographers clicked the picture – certainly a more “dignified” way than sending it by a courier! So this “dignity” does not always come to anyone – sometimes one needs to assert or strive for it!

There could be a struggle waiting for every senior citizen – if we do not become sensitive to their needs and give them their due in society, that is, apart from the struggle nature has inbuilt into our lives. There are several old age homes coming up and some retirement homes are an elaborately designed affair with scientific features incorporated to make the life of the aged a tad bit easier! There are also some medical care centers which take care of seniors springing up, albeit not adequate to meet the demand. But isn’t opting for these homes another contentious matter for families to take? When an age old home was inaugurated some time ago, it is said that the spiritual guru who was invited as a chief guest, remarked that although he was opening a facility for the aged needing care, he was only hoping no one would need its services!

The paradoxical wish of the enlightened soul is only too apparent and needs no elaboration! But when a friend of mine had to seek the services of her 90-year old mother, he explained to me that such a facility was indeed a boon for him – he had a stressful job in the police force which kept him away from home and having lost his wife in a tragic accident, and children who had to leave the city for higher education, no one was at home to take care of her! Perhaps the needs of our society are many and we need to fill each of them with a solution that fits it!

I have featured some senior citizens in my blog for whom nothing ever changes and age is just a number! They want to do more for themselves and for society even in their later years! I am sure you have read them all!

Another need that had been recently filled in was a new magazine, “The Golden Glow” that was introduced early this year. Presented in a “senior-friendly font” that is easy on the ageing eyes, this magazine also covers many aspects of ageing gracefully, while informing them of recent government schemes, banking facilities like reverse mortgage, other financial schemes and several such articles including some much needed humour. Do read more about this magazine here.

I would like to end this special post about Senior Citizen with a suggestion to all youngsters to subscribe to ”The Golden Glow” magazine as a gift for their parents. With an annual subscription of Rs. 500/- and other options available this is certainly a good gesture for your ageing parents, amongst other things that you would want to do, ofcourse!

Blogger's Post Script: Writers and bloggers and senior citizens may also contribute to this magazine - do contact the editor Mr.Kishore Warrier at thegoldenglow@yahoo.in