Old Age ... bane or a boon

Just recently there was an observation made by the Delhi High Court declaring that vaccinating the young was more imperative and urgent than the older generation of 60 plus and above. The blatant and obtrusive caption read 'Nation needs to save younger generation by vaccinating them '..The reason stated was that the younger lot were the future of our country and need to be safeguarded first rather than giving priority to 60 plus who have already lived their lives !! Saving the younger lot was more reasonable in this time of crisis if a choice had to be made , because an 80 year old will not take the country forward anymore ! Instead of honouring the senior citizens and giving them due credit and importance ..... for it is to the credit of every senior citizen for contributing in the development of the nation in whatever way they have ..... they are now being rendered unnecessary .The court is endorsing the unfortunate, ever-increasing unthoughtful , negligent behaviour of the younger generation towards the elderly proclaiming in other words that they are worthless. What did the court mean to signify ...that the ageing population should opt for Euthanasia ?? Or are they thinking of declaring it legal ! This unthinking statement has given the young generation food for their underlying thoughts . And this is in a country where we boast about Sanskaars !! It is understandable that the younger generation have their own dreams/ aspirations to fulfil , their own responsibilities to cater to which is strengthening what was insinuated by the court ...But it is definitely worrying to see the deteriorating sense of duty and the apathy towards the so - called aged ! Is old age a bane then ? With due regards to the Hon.Court , I can't help but finding this callous , insensitive and seemingly unreasonable statement as a harsh jibe at the unwanted status of the ageing section of society . Is it untrue that majority of our own politicians from the top brass to the ordinary who weild political clout with lesser portfolios esp in our own country are generally above 60 plus? . It is the septugenarians who are at the helm of affairs in leading the nation! Be it due to their experience or political prowess ! However , that is another issue . True the nation's future is in the hands of the youth and by all means they need to be protected . Nevertheless the ageing population cannot be sidelined . The naked truth is that the aged or ageing have this lurking fear and dread of physical dependence if God forbid they are struck with a terminal disease or illness which leaves them solely dependant on their offsprings and others causing grave problems for them and their attendants . That is why vaccinating initially began with this most vulnerable section . This brings into focus the helplessness of the dependants whether it is physical , financial and undoubtedly the emotional . When energy levels , responsiveness, physical capabilities, productivity starts waning it definitely affects the individual .To add to this if they are made aware that they now no longer need any fineries / luxuries and should forgo all latent or still existing desires, say of travelling for instance or other pursuits of pleasure it worsens their mental and emotional state .At least this is expected in our own country . ..where being only religiously and spiritually inclined with no other aspirations or the need for achievements or wishes is the accepted notion for senior citizens . The scenario is different in other developed nations where the oldies live life to the fullest , where they are encouraged by society, their offsprings , their friends to enjoy life till they can. An incident comes to my mind which just goes to show the compassion of wards for their parents .During our US trip we were in a cruise when we happened to see an elderly couple accompanied obviously by their adult children in the cruise ...the elderly gentleman was wearing dark glasses and had a walking stick with him and what was noticeable was that their son/ daughter and his wife / daughter-in-law wjatever their relation, were animatedly talking to him pointing out at the lovely scenic views along the way . .Once the ship anchored and we had to go offboard to an island we noticed that the elderly gentleman was being assisted by his wards as he was evidently fully BLIND!! We could not help exclaiming , marvelling and blessing the caring offsprings together with their spouses .... To take a blind man for a cruise and patiently share with him the visual experience was indeed no mean feat! Also in the same trip every evening of our four - day cruise we saw an old couple who could be in their late seventies , suitably and stylishly attired invariably dance through the evening....their spirit , their dignity and grace was worth a watch . Several things in this country are tabu as one attains a certain age ...and there is a curb , a restrain on elders to have a good time ! This has such a psychological impact that as they age they reluctantly mould their mindset and reconcile to live as per societal norms . Old age is a boon ,when one is free of pressing commitments and has almost fulfilled one's responsibilities. It is the time to relax and enjoy if health and well-being permits . And coupled with that if it comes with the pampering and caring of one's doting children and grandchildren that makes them feel needed and loved, .... it then is truly a blessing! Every single individual has the right to live well, enjoy life and indulge in whatever one desires in life whatever the world may think!! To live in the Present and enjoy it ..is the most spirited way of living life king-size!! It is important to realise that there is just a hairline difference between youth and old age as nothing is static and advancing years is inevitable....so the other side of the fence is not far off!! Let's hope it's really the greener side !!

First Anniversary of my Musical Stint !

By the grace of The Almighty it has been a year since I began this musical journey of resuming my singing at the age of 65 , in the second innings of my life , post -retirement .Believing in oneself to enter into such a venture, I had to muster all the courage and stimulate my spirits to revive my passion. I began my endeavours with a lot of trepidation and diffidence as I took it up after a long hiatus of almost three decades .It was my husband's constant encouragement that goaded me on . The first Lockdown which began last year proved to be , by God's grace a fertile ground to restart my musical voyage and invest in it the requisite time and undivided attention to sharpen whatever musical abilities I possessed. As a result of my persistent endeavours and perseverance today I have in all 47 videos of my songs to my credit. ART is a form of self- expression and creativity. Visual art forms include objects that are produced depicting the skill ,creativity and passion of the artist. Music is a unique art form. It is a lyrical and auditory representation of a story and thought through words, rhythm and melody . I am referring to vocal music here as it is in context of my purpose of writing. Music being a purely subjective art form provides listeners with the insight to personal experiences and even in- depth interpretations of the world around together with tranquility and solace. At a personal level I think I have been characterised with this subjectivity which is evident from my penchant for literature (in which I had developed keen interest and later opted for higher studies) to my love for music as well as other art forms .I believe it was an inherent trait in me....I think it came as a 'sanskaar' by birth . Further this fondness for music was nurtured from a very early age by my parents .My father initiated me into learning this art by purchasing a harmonium for me when I was just 5 years old. During my growing years this fondness grew stronger as music enthralled me! As my consciousness of the external world started evolving I found myself enjoying listening to Bollywood numbers ....so intensely would I listen that I could instinctively memorise even the interlude music of almost every song that appealed to me. My training in vocals was intermittent and sporadic during my school and college years .Post marriage my husband , seeing my interest , did earnestly try by way of procuring learned Gurus for me .Unfortunately this was again interrupted due to various factors. Nevertheless my passion for music and singing was so intense that I revivified my zeal at this late stage of life . Nevertheless to be able to reproduce melodious strains requires total involvement and complete attention of the artist . Passion alone is not enough ...it needs to be sustained with perseverance and perpetual efforts to hone whatever skill one has. As it is said perfection comes with practice.....and thus began my ardous journey of regular practice. As luck would have it I found a Guru Shri Arun Das, who initiated me once again into the basics of classical music for without that training it is nearly impossible to get into the nuances of any song and render them perfectly . Together with this regular practice I took up songs that I loved and had grown up listening to them.Yet though they appeared to be easy they turned out to be quite typical when I started reproducing them . It was just not the tune that had to be reproduced but the pronunciation of every word by the singer the intonation, the voice modulation , the voice control and throw, the change in voice quality ...all were required to be perfected to bring out the desired result .Thus I realised every song was difficult and again continuous practice was the only key to achieve satisfactory results. It is true that it is unthinkable to be able to perfectly render the songs of legendary singers and maestros ,nonetheless to even come anyway near to them requires diligence , dedication and a certain amount of dexterity too ! However, It is true that when one is passionate about something the required efforts are bound to follow ...the point is they should not wane at any point of time for there are highs and lows for every artist ..and definitely it is difficult to tide over the Lows at times. Herein comes the support and encouragement of genuine well - wishers to urge one on to keep pursuing ! I consider myself very fortunate to have a soul mate who left no stone unturned in doing just that ! Be it in the form of encouragement , appreciation, advice , healthy sometimes even harsh criticism , the insistence that I could do it (in the case of some typical numbers I chose to sing ) or in his zeal to create videos , improve recordings etc. I got all the assistance needed! What is definitely worth mentioning is that though he is not a connoisseur in music , he listens to every song attentively and at times when I fail to get the right effect he tells me how to modulate my voice accordingly ....and it has worked !! So with my super Guru as my super critic I have achieved what I never thought I could!! An artist whether big or small ,famous or not so popular , widely-acclaimed or having a limited audience/ viewership wishes and yearns for acknowledgement, recognition ,applause and appreciation....for that is the staple diet for any and every artist that eggs him/her on to go on in their endeavours to hone and excel in one's skill. To return to my musical journey it started off with my rigorous practice sessions of songs accompanied with amateur unplugged recordings done on a mobile phone . However , my ever- creative , enthusiastic husband who wished to bring me into the limelight to showcase whatever talent I had began creating videos of every song that I practised .It was not an easy task at all as the background noises had to be taken care of .Often these videos done on a mobile were recorded with several takes and retakes, without even fans and air-conditioners despite the sweltering summer heat and humidity to ward off any noise . Thus began this journey of posting and uploading the videos on Facebook . Next was to collect all the videos in one place for watching them at one go ! YouTube ,was a suggestion given by dear ones .So once again my husband researched and successfully created a YouTube page for me . Presently what is more important is that these 47 videos on YouTube and Facebook have earned for me several friends, well- wishers , rock-solid supporters who have been with me with their encouraging, motivating and stimulating reactions .It is extremely heartening to note the affection and warmth I have received for the song videos from my friends and well-wishers for which I feel supremely Blessed ! Now I feel that I could carry on with my amateur endeavours of singing solely due to the sustained and continuous motivation and encouragement that I received from my dear friends and genuine well wishers . I understand it requires alot of sensitivity and compassion to encourage anyone's endeavours , to take out one's valuable time to view each video, to have the patience to listen to the songs, then to acknowledge, LIKE , and to feel eager to respond to it positively and comment on it is indeed very appreciable! It requires a heart of gold and a generous disposition to support someone for his / her endeavours ! I take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and everyone who have been acknowledging , liking, reacting and commenting on the song-videos !! It is so rewarding for me to be appreciated so warmly and I feel deeply indebted to them . A big round of applause for my loving , caring ,ever-enthusiastic sons and their ever- encouraging spouses and my adorable granddaughters who have given me unconditional support, emotional succour and have on several occasions also taken care of technical nitty - gritties in creating the videos. They are truly precious for me . And here I cannot help but reminiscing about my doting parents and my loving parents-in-law who I know are sending their blessings from the heavens above. Besides earnestly being in need of Divine intervention perenially without which nothing is possible , I do need the continuous support of all such thoughtful , compassionate and wonderful people to keep me going on in my humble endeavours !! 🙏🙏 I know that The Almighty has been extremely benevolent in showering and inundating me with His blessings. What is more important is that I FEEL FAVOURED AND BLESSED always and am ever so grateful to The Lord every single day of my life !!