Young and Old, Life and Death

October 13, 2007

Young people Value life less. It lies before them, unspent, Waiting to be squandered.. So a new cosmetic or a dress is “to die for” And an embarassing moment means, “I could have died”… And, indeed, they do kill themselves– Over emotions,disappointments,frustrations,desires.

But old people Know how precious life is. Like a man who has spent most of his money, And has not much more left… They know what they have got from the days they have lived, They do not want to waste the rest of it. You’ll not hear an older person say, “I’d rather die than do that.” Death to them is an approaching companion, not an option. As the prospect of death advances, the grip on life becomes more tenacious.


That’s why it’s tragic when a young person dies While an old, toothless crone lives on, In a helpless,vegetable state, Absorbing the meagre resources of a family.


Life..is not fair,not logical,not simple…

I remember a couple of lines from a Hindi film song:

hum tumhE chAhtE hein aisE marnE vAlA koi zindagi chAhtA hO aise…

I want you, the way someone about to die wants life…