has again brought home the fact that unless we are careful, there is every chance we too will succumb to depression. It is more poignant to me, because for one I was very fond of Robin Williams - thought he was a fantastically talented actor...his eyes, though, always struck me as hiding a little sadness...and for the other, I too am 63 years old...a dangerous age...
Reams have been written about this thing called growing old....it is an undeniable fact, and the logical end to life. But, no amount of logic prepares us for the feelings that accompany this physical condition. No amount of money, no amount of therapy, no amount of religion, no amount of soothsaying, no amount of any uplifting and therapeutic thought, no amount of lifestyle talks, no amount of anything.....not even the enjoyment of relatively good health helps you deal with the insecurity of this age...and this insecurity can hit anyone above 'the certain age'.
So, what do we have to be careful about? For one thing, this is a very individual thing - each one copes with this particular time of life in his or her unique way. The first thing and the most-most-most important thing is acceptance. This is really the most difficult thing to do....to accept that we are not as supple in body, as agile in our thinking, or as strong in our emotions. We sort of lose that flexibility that goes with being young. Money plays a huge role - some have enough, some worry about not having enough...some worry about how weak and dependent they have become economically, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Next, we often we feel we cannot wake to the demands of a new day. Sometimes it is coping with the thoughtlessness of the young. These are just a few things I've said - there are so many things that keep popping up in the mind, weakening an already weak and fragile mind.
It needn't be so - of course it needn't be so - but no amount of anyone telling us this will really work - we have to internalize this somehow. And this again is not easy - it happens quite easily for some, it is a torturous process for some...but this is the only way.....to accept it and work towards accepting it wholeheartedly so that from this time on we can use our energies not to fret or worry but to live out the rest of our days in dignity and fun.