Creator in a Quandary

Almost a year ago I read the headlines of weekly column which said; today’s sixties are the forties of yore. I immediately rubbished it. Thought to myself, “what wont these society ladies say”? Justification for their wardrobes and attitude!!!! More so in this case as the writer was someone whose opinion I did not value. However for sometime now the headline kept coming back to me and I started giving it a serious thought and tried to equate it with my life.

I have almost a decade to go before I reach the respected 60, but however I did some calculations and came to this conclusion, if the modern day 60 is the 40 of the past, then today’s forties must be the twenties of yore. With this in mind I started recollecting all the major happenings in my life in the last decade and here is what I came up with. It really surprised me as it would any of you.

Life in the Middle East (read Saudi Arabia) forfeits one of many simple pleasures which we take for granted in other parts of the world. The simple joy of driving around with friends or visiting a movie hall or enjoying a coffee in a bar had eluded me in my 20’s and 30’s and this I wanted to make up when I got back to India in March of 1995. I know there is nothing new in all this as most of my friends end up doing just that on their return. Frankly speaking I do not know how to ride a simple, humble bicycle and with absolutely no road sense, I decided that I should be behind a wheel and zoom around. Apart from a professional instructor to put me on the right track, I had various members of the family sitting with me while I practiced driving. It goes without saying how everybody had their say and I was always at the receiving end. I was not perturbed and within a few months was a safe bet on the road. This is indeed a skill I am proud to have mastered.
When I thought the remaining years of my life would be with friends and family socializing and catching up on missed years, something really unbelievable happened. I call it the hands of destiny for into my life came my little daughter. She was all of 5 months when I got her and here I was 40 years and 5 months. It was truly a challenging proposition to bring up a baby. I decided not to waste anytime and got into the nitty gritty right from day one. I really didn’t know what I was in for. My passive life style took a U turn. My books, movies and everything else had to take a back seat. Initially my life revolved around changing diapers, waiting in the countless doctors consulting rooms and trying to catch up on missed sleep whenever possible. Later it graduated to standing in queue for school admission, going to the park, buying toys and clothes, attending birthday parties etc etc. Although I was a total misfit with all the young moms who had so much in common to talk to, I enjoyed being with them. These simple joys of another kind had eluded me. It really made me feel young at heart.
Having turned 40, I thought it was time I gave back something to the society and hence decided to join an Inner Wheel Club. This was also possible because of the sound support system I had at home in the form of the one and only NARAYANI. (Had I known about the modern day equation then, I would have waited for a decade before taking this plunge.) It did not take me long to become an active member and soon was involved in all the happenings of the club. This included taking part in various cultural programmes as well. I took part in many dance programmes and was also the master of ceremonies for many of the events at the club. As for the former I have had 8 years of training and as for the latter, it was a new talent that I discovered.
Feeling rejuvenated with all these happenings, I felt I could put my physical fitness to test. Without knowing what it meant, I took a vow to climb the Thirumala Hills. I’m happy to say that I accomplished this mission with ease and could keep pace with the scores of youngsters who were my co climbers.
When I analysed the above events and ones similar to them, I came to the conclusion that my forties were truly like the twenties of yore. I fervently wish that when I touch eighty, I should feel like a sprightly sixty year old. I summed up with a theory that if a non entity like me could just remove twenty years of her life without any trace, then the same must hold true for most inhabitants on planet earth. It is fine as far as the humans go, however, it does leave the CREATOR IN A QUANDARY.

PS.I have made it a point to read all the columns written by the said author. Who knows as to what other doors she may open!!!