Make way Magic Johnson, David Beckham…. Meet Fauja Singh, the latest brand ambassador for Adidas UK…. This 92 year old runner from Illford UK started running at the age of 81 and has set records in the London Marathon.
True, for many, life indeed begins in autumn-winter…. In the West, it is considered quite natural for elderly people to take active interest in the world and their lives and surroundings. It is common for people in their fifties and sixties to take up new interests, travel extensively and marry for the sake of companionship…
But think about India… for a country which lays claim to respect for elders as an essential part of its culture, we surely don’t take our elders seriously…. Again to think about it from a cultural perspective, the life of man has been defined in four stages… starting with boyhood and learning and ending with meditation (preferably in the forest, vanaprastha…. Or in modern times, introspection in quiet surroundings)…. But is old age just about that?
Surely enough, Fauja Singh started running at the age of 81 only when he moved to London. I cannot imagine this happening in India… We do not think about our elders as people with wants and desires and ambitions like anyone else…. Whereas in reality, old age is the time when people, having completed all their ‘duties’ step back and look forward to some peace and entertainment…
Rather, we treat them as people who have ‘been there done that, so enough now’…. As if they have nothing else to do but look back on their lives and progeny with contentment and look forward to the end..… Will a Fauja Singh ever be possible in India?
so true. we ignore the wisdom of seniors, and their potential to contribute to our individual and collective well-being.