Page 30 - Seniors Today - July 2021 Issue

interesting, but also vindicates how some is our responsibility to fulfil it, no matter
shakers and movers in the government are
prudent and make things happen.
Then there are two sisters who own a shop
close by and have a lovely Pomeranian for
a pet. Unfailingly, they come every day to
the beach with milk and food for the many
stray dogs that roam the beach front. As
does another gentleman, who does not own
a pet himself, but gets milk and food for the
strays. Very humane and kind and worthy
of emulation. Heaven-sent for the mute!
Several fisherfolk, some of whom I
happen to talk to, can be seen searching
for clams in the seabed during low tides
and selling them to the walkers on the
shores. A uniform theme is the loss of
jobs and incomes given the pandemic, but
determined to eke out an honourable living
and feeding hungry mouths in their homes.
The walks can be a great leveller too. In the
course of my walk, a person accosted me a
few days ago and held forth on the ways of
the word – how the world could be a better
place if it were not for envy and animus in
people. We all have a purpose in life and it
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the odds. It was clear that he is talking
about his struggles and knocks in life. He
had a disarming candour and positivity.
Since I am a student of spirituality, I had a
long conversation with him and did learn
something from him. He was carrying an
umbrella and a tiffin box. I could make out
that he may be a daily wager; true enough
he was an out-of-job security guard.
Then there is an understated but voluble
couple, with whom I struck a friendship.
While the husband has his own business
in the high-end pharma research space and
other businesses, the wife runs a wellness
and counselling platform especially for
senior citizens (coincidentally, geriatric
care is a cause that I have been supporting
for years). Before long, they invited me and
my elder son (who founded a start-up) for
a tete-a-tete at their lovely home, where we
could meet their well-educated children as
well (one of whom is a trained singer and a
much-followed youtuber). Suffice it to say
that the conversations enhanced the mutual
respect and regard and hopefully, it will be
an enduring friendship.
Everything in life is not hunky-dory. You
can also have some nasty experiences. Let
me recount that as well. A few months ago,
on the way back from a trek to the Mauli
fort in Khardi, at a halt at a tea shop before
the Thane toll naka, a stranger approached
us asking us for some advice on some coins
that he had discovered in a construction site.
As a numismatist, I have a fair interest and
knowledge about coins. I offered to help him
determine the authenticity and potential
value. In my desire to help, and taken in
by his subdued demeanour, I let down
my normal guard and circumspection.
To cut a long story short, before long that
person rooked me of a small fortune, good