Page 8 - Seniors Today - May21 Issue

Find creative ways to connect with family Eschew politics
and friends. Maybe write an old-fashioned
letter, or call someone on the phone,
particularly on the days you are feeling
lonely. Place calls using video chat services
like Facetime or Zoom. If you are tech-savvy,
post and respond to other friends’ posts on
social media. Create something – expressing
yourself through creative means can be
therapeutic, whether it involves painting,
writing or dancing. If you find it hard to
express your feelings to others, maintain a
journal and write each day. You could even
start a blog, writing about your feelings and
experiences for others to read. You would be
surprised at the response you get – maybe
you’ll discover old friends or make new
connections. However, do be wary of new
people you meet on social media – do not
share personal information that someone
could misuse.
Write short stories, or start the novel you
always wanted to write. Make a bucket list
of things you want to do in your lifetime. It’s
always fun to make travel plans. Pamper
yourself, finding ways to comfort yourself;
even when you are lonely you can improve
your mental health. Creativity can become
a form of meditation. Whatever you do to
combat loneliness, know that you are truly
not alone and there are many things you can
do to feel more connected.
Unfortunate things will happen. They
could hurt and disappoint you. But
believe in yourself and get your mind off
the negative self-talk. This is the time to
tell yourself to stop. No politics and no
doomscrolling and no Covid discussion
either – make this your mantra. One of the
things that seniors need to remember that
being older is not “old” – believe yourself to
be fighting, fit and healthy. There is a lot left
in those tanks; find a happiness supplement.
8
At a time like this, when you want to seek
comfort from your friends, invariably
for a lot of people the conversation turns
to politics. It is a difficult subject to
discuss. This has been a year of immense
polarisation. The pandemic, religious
tension, elections and the hysterical media
have made the world seem more divisive
and partisan than ever before. Friends you
have known for many decades become
strong adversaries over political views. I
am a member of my school alumni group.
We were amongst the best public schools
in India, our formative years were spent
under a man whom we all revered as
god. N L Khanolkar was an iconic school
principal, a staunch secularist – no Hindu-
Muslim- Punjabi- Gujarati- Maharashtrian-
Kannadiga bias. He taught us right from
wrong, weak from strong, and drilled into
us great values. He was a true Dronacharya.
Some of the members of my alumni group
are admirals, air marshals, brigadiers,
bankers, lawyers, engineers, builders,
doctors, businessmen and men of the world.
Yet there is so much of division amongst
us, so much political venom being spewed
in the group for and against the current
dispensation. I have often wondered what
makes educated people take such extreme
views and flaunt them.
My belief is that when a leader propagates