Old age or being invalid doesn’t prevent, hinder, block one to live a healthy, happy life. While being young doesn’t prevent one from illness, calamity, disaster, misfortune.
Tooth-ache, stomach-ache, is as hurting in young and old and so is a sore, a heavy heart as painful and sorrowful. Death is so fearsome. There’s no one who would sacrifice his life for another, how old he is.
There was the toothless, wrinkled, old fruit vendor with his pikulan, (bamboo stick to carry two hampers) with a kopiah (Indonesian headwear) looking as “ugly” as Mang Cepot, the folk’s jester, living in Ciputat and everyday still goes by bus as far as 25 km to Jakarta Pusat selling his fruits. His voice was still strong, his face cheerful, doesn’t complain. He still dances the joget, a folk’s dance, crying humorous pantuns verses about his fruits and teases, runs after the household maid in fun. Though he just eats very simple faire, he doesn’t feel himself poor, or old. Remember, he too certainly was a lovely child in his mother’s arms before.
I had read the story of Helen Keller who was blind, deaf and mute, yet could still obtain a doctor’s degree. Perhaps she’s “seeing” even more without her eyes than many people who could see with their eyes open. If she could be granted to see even though just for a week, how grateful she would be.
Yet, invalids, so handicapped, don’t despair, aren’t distressed, feeling uneasy among people. Young, old, or invalids, who can escape the road to old age? Yet we all have the opportunity, chance, to a thousand and one joys and happiness:
Celebrating the grandness of each day – not only once a year on New Year’s day - with all the living on this earth, to feast, enjoy the dawn, the rising sun. To be grateful for the rain and warmth of the sun, the coolness of the wind. To see the waving trees, the grandness of the sailing clouds, the charm of a rippling lake. To breathe the soft, delicious scent of the Mahoni blossoms, or hear the sad plucking sounds of the kecapi (Indonesian cither) accompanying the bamboo flute. And dine, drink, create, play, dance, sing, love … and have a sound sleep.
And tired after life’s travelling, how peaceful to rest in Mother Earth.
From Media Indonesia January 16, 1991
March 2011
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