
Sixty is an important milestone, especially in our country, as this sets the benchmark for the person to be labelled as “old”. A major resin for this is our system of employment that retires or superannuates a person on attainment of 60 years of age, if you are retired from your employment, you are old!
However, to me sweet 60 is sweeter than sweet 16. In fact, I hardly have any pleasant or lasting memories of sweet 16. The only thing I recall is that I was waiting for board results of class X with bated breath, hoping for good scores so as to be eligible to choose science in the same school in which I had studied till then. There was no romance, no dating, no Valentine day, no fashion statement, but just a simple middle class life.
On the contrary, today at 60 I find myself to be on the verge of an exciting next innings. I have fulfilled most of my familial responsibilities, repaid all my loans and physically I feel reasonably fit to be looking forward to doing things that I always aspired but couldn’t pursue due to career related obligations, in fact, there’s a strange feeling of freedom – from responsibilities, obligations, debts, formalities and most of all fears.
Of course, as this birthday coincides with my superannuation from service too, it’s been made very special by my friends, colleagues and nears and dears. My mail box. WhatsApp, SMS, FB notifications et al are all getting flooded with good wishes and I’m feeling so overwhelmed that I am finding it difficult glean, garner or assimilate this spurt of affection!
Indeed this milestone birthday is very special and very sweet and it gives hope to everyone that ageing is not as serious or risky as the world makes out it to be! I am enjoying all the adoration.