I find it quite quixotic & strange when people desire to hide their true age & declare fictitious years as their age.
As days pass, we all grey, our cells grow older, we perhaps get more wiser as we age, we mature, we achieve in life & gain experience.
Earlier, this phenomenon of masking one's true age was confined & perhaps reserved to film stars & models, but today, I find it quite prolific amongst people of all classes and professions.
I must state the example of one of my senior colleagues in office, who is close to 58 years, but is profoundly ashamed to call himself a 58 year old. In fact, he quotes his age as 44 years when he books rail tickets.He has been doing this for several years now!
I can think of another Senior Manager who worked in my company when I was a Medical Representative 16 years ago- anyone on earth could easily make out that he was around 50 years those days, but everywhere, this man used to describe his age as 36... crazy.
These two people were men...now I don't want to take the example of women because the space offered by MS to write blogs may not be sufficiant if I start (no gender bias or prejudice meant).
We all know that it's bad manners to ask someone's age- at least that's what the society prescribes, but in the event of someone probing one's age, what is the harm in declaring true age? Is it an offence by law. Do we need to feel let down, disgusted or ashamed that we grow older by the day, by every hour, minute & second? Its the law of nature & is as certain as the rising sun. Perhaps even God cannot change it.
The only biological exception perhaps is that of cricketer Shahid Afridi, whose age reduces every year... he used to be 16 years old about 15 years ago, now he must be around 22....
Having said this, in every forum, I have no hesitation in openly declaring my age. Few people look younger even if they age - Mrs. Hema Malini does not look 60 at all- she puts many a bollywood heroine to shame with her ageless beauty & 'dream girl' like appearance even at this age.
Many people look older even if they are young. There are various genetic, biological & lifestyle related factors for this. Many inherited causes are out of our control. Perhaps, our every day lifestyle is the only one on which we can have maximum command.
I find this 'age hiding syndrome' quite rampant in India. People thunder when asked about their age. Not sure in other countries since I have not very widely travelled abroad.
How I substantiate this is by way of my job early in my career, I used to complete forms as a part of promotional campaigns with our customers, who would give all details, except the one relating to DOB. In this column, most people would simply mention- 25th April (example) & leave the year blank.
No harm- it is no compulsion for everyone to announce their age on an amplifier or on a news channel. We are not interested in knowing it too. But what puzzles me is why people shudder & hesitate to proclaim their true age?
All our cosmetic creams/ soaps which crowd the market place & which promise age masking magic are a big hoax. Companies making them are just playing on our sentiments & we get carried away by their promotional gimmicks.
I am tempted to mention in this context one of Kannada's stalwart writer & lexicographer- the great Prof. G. Venkatasubbaiah, who is 100 plus years of age. Even now he walks without support, climbs steps on his own & has no qualms in declaring his age.
Therefore, age is just a number. Achievement & accomplishment are the real feat. I feel that we must accept & not brood about our true age. This will go a long way in making our lives more beautiful.
Life is too short. Lets live every passing day with joy.
Thanks for reading!
