It is said that with ‘ageing’ maturity, patience and tolerance will automatically set in. I am afraid it is an erroneous statement. I am a senior citizen and I beg to differ. Just to make the elderly ‘pleased’ this observation can be said. But, in reality it is not. Conversely, many aged easily lose their patience, composure and express intolerance and anger at the drop of a hat.

Pray. I am not blaming; this is a fact which I have been witnessing. 

I noticed it on several occasions, and I myself have experienced that too.

If one has to make a trip, the aged persons will be too excited and agitated about it. They check and ask several questions repeatedly to the younger ones to the point of forcing them to retort.

Patience is the major casualty. The old ones can never listen patiently or grasp the matter easily. I myself is an example. Many times, I have posed questions to the youngsters to the extent of them asking me ‘Why are you cross examining like a defense lawyer?’

Older people cannot withstand hunger. When one has to wait in hotels nowadays because of the crowd (it is the most common and harrowing sight and experience in many hotels on weekend nights!). One can find the elders feeling restless or passing comments about their impatience and incapacity to wait.

If one needs to walk, the elders are just out of it. In my case this is a typical example. Last year, when I went to Bangalore Lalbagh and walked for some distance with my young former student, at one stage when the out gate vicinity could not be seen, I told him that I will sit down there itself and he had to and get an auto to pick me up. I watched many elders cooling their heels in the nearby concrete benches. My student guy was so resourceful, he borrowed a scooter from someone outside and came and picked me up since autos are not allowed inside. I know because of impatience I have acted with petulance on many instances with the young ones. 

If you haven’t come across any such tricky instances, consider yourself lucky and blessed.  

To be honest, a sense of insecurity about everything invariably walks with them at every stage. I feel for the old, their home is the ‘best place’.

Well, one can sing great paeans on ageing and their advantages; but, in reality it is a setback coupled with several disadvantages. 

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