I am Old

 

I am Old

Not earth shattering news, yet the way it was delivered to me put me in a funk. I get my newspaper not very early in the morning, only between 8:00 and 8:30. This suits me fine as I do not stir out of bed till 7:30.

In The Hindu, the newspaper I get, somewhere in the inside pages (opposite to the Editorial?) there is a small piece under bold headline, “FROM THE ARCHIVES”, per the editor, interesting snippets as reported in the paper from 50 years and 100 years earlier on that date. Some days I read them, but most days I do not. It just could have been that Saturn moved into my birth astrological sign on that date, and the evil planet forced me to read the 50-years-ago piece.

It was a news item that struck a chord with me, not very strong as I do not remember now what it said.

That was 50 years ago! I AM OLD.

That evening I went for my usual walk mostly along the sleepy-streets of the town of Srirangam (it is not easy finding six kilometres of such streets, but I have found). Yet, I did not sleep walk and that is as well because the traffic that does ply on these streets is mostly two-wheelers that do not care for pedestrians. I distinctly remember that my pace was slower, less than hundred steps a minute (the usual pace – 116 steps per minute if I am not disturbed in my semi-urban trek; I am sort of particular about this).

It meant, and it could have meant only one thing–I have internalized the fact that I am old. It was brought to me by the daily newspaper. I will stick with it as I am a sucker for punishment!

Though a jolt it was, I knew I can live with it. For how long, I would not dare to speculate.

Raghuram Ekambaram