Harish Narayan

Irrelevance is the new retirement. Deloitte India with a retirement age of 62 years, gave golden handshake to 35 partners above 55. They are removing those who have their past behind them and adding those who have their future ahead of them. Guess who all will follow. Right, everyone! When I came in, no one took you seriously until you had grey hair. Age got respect, credibility and deference. Just when I got there, someone changed the rules of the game! Now I know what Charlie Chaplin meant, “Time is my only enemy”. So you see people trying to cover up their age. The hair gets blacker. Cosmetic procedures, shiny new wheels, trendy lingo. In short my generation moved from trying to impress those older than us to those younger to us! And we all know the former is probable the latter are near impossible to please. Ask anyone who has retired. They don’t miss the money. They miss the routine, meetings, travel, ringing phones- what they may have complained about. As humans we struggle for relevance. That our life matters. Without it there is void. Along this time, you meet more Doctors than DJs. You may be paying heavy cost of your kids higher education and you realise that time is running out on you. Henry Thoreau said, “Most men live lives of quiet desperation and they go to their graves with the song still in them.” In your fifties there are three possibilities. One is disappointment of not getting that S Class Merc or you got it but think about what you missed in its chase and the third is laughing at the stupidity of ever wanting one.  कभी किसी को मुकम्मल जहाँ नहीं मिलता कहीं ज़मीन तो कहीं आसमान नहीं मिलता No one gets everything, sometimes you get success but failed relationships, kids grew up and parents grew old without you and sometimes you get that right but fall short of success. What’s funny is that growing old is compulsory but growing up seems optional. I marvel at people’s ability to be childish, egoistic and ready to fight on trivial things. How did they miss the point of life! Long back I stopped buying tickets to other people’s dramas. I see all around me with the attitude of the Polish adage, “Not my circus, not my monkeys.” A delayed flight, people venting on counter staff, cutting lines to board an aircraft early. Everything is stressful and everything is funny- depends on our lens. Ageing well is moving from being a noisy mountain stream in your teens to a deep, calm ocean. Fifties our ancients called Vanprastha ashram. Facing the forest. I have a different take to it. I think in fifties, one needs to build a Version 2, find our joie di vivre and burn the candle at both ends. Do what you need to do. Sing that song. If not now, when! The pain of failure is less than the pain of regret. Go for it. Fifties is the new twenties with thirty years of experience! If you are in your twenties or thirties take it from me that time is a thief, it slips away. Buddha was right - The trouble is you think you have time! Enjoy life to the fullest, as it comes.... 😎😍😎😍😎