Page 12 - Seniors Today - June 2021 Issue
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uncomplicated answers to some real several maladies of the mind and body,
existential questions. Here are some of the threats and devastations of one dimension
nuggets. When asked about what is most or the other that abound all around us.
important to them in life, they say it is meat Several people known to me have
and honey. They tread and run miles and farmhouses in lush rural areas where they
miles across the vast barren lands every day occasionally wind down to live a farmer’s
to hunt and forage for food. When asked simple but tough life. Several escape
what they fear the most, they say they are from their cities and go off on treks to the
scared of lions, cheetahs and elephants. mountains to experience nature living.
When asked what they feel about death, Eco-tourism and village living are taking
they say they don’t think about it. But if off. Perhaps this is a realisation of what they
someone dies, they put him or her in the have lost out over the years due to progress
caves and celebrate the death so that if the and attempts to get back a little of nature
dead was suffering from anything, then that and temperance in living. Minimalistic
pain will go away. When asked about after- living, dropping excess baggage, home
death, they simply say that they don’t know education, shifting to agriculture for self-
where they go - heaven or somewhere else. consumption of organic food, selling off
Clearly, the Hadzabe tribe’s (as it would cars, moving to smaller houses, etc are
be of the Sentinelese, I am sure) moment to but signs of conscious living and reducing
moment living, simplicity and lack of any pressure on resources and nature.
material comfort seem to keep them happier Our experiences are our best teachers.
and healthier than many ‘civilised’ humans Everyone has a lurking fear and uncertainty
who have it all. They are humans like us, about a post-retired life. About finances
but vastly different in attitude and outlook and health and family and everything
to life. under the sun. Suffice it to say that one
will soon realise that finally we will be on
our own, we can have a healthy life with
the bare essentials and if one has been
prudent during working life, savings can
go a long way. Returns may be important,
but attitude will save the day. Through
our active working lives, metaphorically
speaking, we have been competing to stay
ahead, hunting to gather, gathering to
hoard, fretting to look after and increase
the hoard and worrying about what will
Return to nature happen to it post our last sunset. The
Contrastingly, in spite of all the education, enjoyment of the short term loses out to the
intelligence, wisdom, religion, machinery, worry of the long term.
medical advancements, science and To end the write with a simple thought -
technology, an average evolved human tomorrow is today spent having a ball. Now
being is extraordinarily insecure and is so much more in life, less is so much more
covetous for most parts of life, leading to in life.
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