That young Turk-cum-Editor Samvada, doesn’t believe in letting ‘sleeping dogs lie’, and thus on a cool rainy morning, kicking me in the ribs, said, ‘Wake up foggy! Time to send a senile piece for the Samvada.’ The sane spots are always taken by the bevvy of beauties he has as Editors from Southcity-I. Time for someone to commence the MEM (Male Egos Matter) movement there.
So… Here’s me fingering my laptop (no pun intended), dedicating this to citizens over 60 … the exalted breed of young and wild men and women, who have weathered both storms and fair winds and seen ‘flower power’ to ‘nuclear power’. They are now at an age where what people think shouldn’t matter, and start living their own truths. With that preamble, I launch my ‘gyan’ missile. P.S. I am not some silky-robed Guru floating around the countryside in a private jet, so my ‘gyan’ capsule will be a rustic, rural reality, which may hit some below the belt at times.
First gyan …. sleep late. Why? It keeps you fresh and lively through the day … and then … allows you some nice late nights boozing and guffawing with like-minded old morons, before you totter home and hit the sack. Prevents the ‘yawn button’ from switching on at 2200h, just when some nice old rooster or hen is giving you the glad eye. Boozing is definitely better than bamboozling and being constipated in mind and body and simply mucking up moods. If God wanted you to be such an ass, he would have made you one. Why let Him down unless you want Him to send you down?
Guffawing… that’s a hobby essential for young old people. The louder and more often you guffaw, the better it is for your heart and the people around you. They know you are still alive and ticking. Nobody has to do ‘life’ check on you every half hour.
Be ruthless… when you dislike something or someone… show/say it. If someone messes with you, make mince meat out of him/her. Throw the ‘chivalry’ chicanery out of the window. Don’t be kind on people’s anatomy. Kick butt as required.
Travel frequently… 15 days each month. Simply pack your rucksack and go somewhere. Better to hit the road in travel, than trip over and stumble face-first into it on silly health walks. Let your children know you have ‘happy feet’… let them get tense waiting at home, not for your welfare or well-being, but for calls from 100, about their naughty brawling oldie(s) in a bar or restaurant, and to come and collect their ‘over-dated package’ after bearing costs.
Eat well…. forget the dietary crap. If you haven’t learnt how to live even now and are dependent on others to teach it to you… you are a miserable specimen of humanity (I mean that). Back to diets. Haven’t you seen or heard of enough young men and women… the gym-mers and health freaks following longevity and well-being diets going ‘kaput’ at 35?? If you have lived beyond 60, surely you haven’t been eating holy crap. Enjoy your meals. Freak out on the foods you like. Remember one thing when you do that… or when you don’t want to do that…. you will only die at your designated time. So dear foggies… Lighten up! Loosen up! Live bindaas!! Live to please your heart, soul and palate… not some relatives/neighbors or other idiots.
Signing Off… please re-read the title. ‘Let Sleeping Dogs Lie’. I am a sleeping dog and I have lied 90% in the above lines. If you haven’t smiled or cursed me on realizing it, I am a failure. Life is short, enjoy every moment of it with family and friends …. that is the only truth we must live by.
by Sleeping Guest Editor: Col Anil Alagh, 9312247284
