BY ER. G. M. BHAT
Ageing starts right from birth and thus all stages of life are crucial for graceful ageing. The human age is divided into four stages;
-Childhood (Bachpan) which spans from birth to 12 years.
-Adolescence or teenage that is below which spans from 13-19 years.
-Youth and middle age, which spans from 20-60 years.
-Old age (Buzargi) spans 60 years onwards.
During bachpan or childhood, one is all carefree and adopts whatever is said to him. In fact imbibing, good-bad habits start in this period. Good or lousy language too is picked up in this period. Adoption-copying of good-bad habits and rituals social and religious happen during this period.
The adolescence-teenage period is most critical stage of life. Parents and elders have to be very watchful about the upbringing of their children. Good lifestyle, proper language, good education especially moral and family values need to be inculcated in them. Above all a feeling of God-fearing and religious bent is vital in this stage.
Now comes the youth period one thinks he is a master of his own and can do whatever he likes, his health is very good and he chooses his profession. He enjoys himself to his full, gets married and starts supporting a family. He plans for the future like having a good house and good transport for swift movement and children’s good education etc., and depending on how God-fearing he is, he devotes some time in His remembrance. Caring for parents is active before marriage and gradually gets diminished after their marriage, if they are alive. Participating in social and public welfare activities. Alternatively, if this most precious period goes unplanned and unattended the future too seems to be dark and bleak.
Last is the old age period 60 years onwards. The problems mostly are orally solved looking back if the earlier three stages have a good ranking man feels satisfied, and if he feels all the previous periods have gone waste he repents up to the end. Based on the above details of ageing we the senior citizens need to introspect where we stand. Those little times at our disposal let us try to rectify whatever we can; devote our time to constructive thinking, prayers learning from sacred books and talking less.
In this stage elderly people advise children and other teenagers about good things and neat, pious and clean habits. Here many people feel dejected and dishonoured. Let me end the speech with the Persian couplet “Mann Az Beganaha Hargiz Na Nalam, Ba Mann Harchi Kard Aashina Kard” meaning I had never any complaints about strangers because whatever good or bad was done to me was by my own people. Goodbye.
Er Bhat is a retired Chief Engineer.