WHEN YOU STAND BY THE OCEAN...

Many a times I wonder: what makes Life worth living?

I met two senior citizens, this morning. I have always admired both of them. Every time I speak to them, I come out a lot charged… “Hey, Life is worth living, worth celebrating!”… This is exactly what I feel in my heart; yes, every time I interact with them. 

Mr. Harwadekar is in his eighties. “Coming Jan, I have planned to celebrate my twenty-fifth retirement-year!”… he announced, this morning, “I am excited about it!”

“Well, this is something ‘new’, something I don’t get to hear from anyone around!” I exclaimed in my mind. “There is life still left, even after twenty-five years of retirement!”

Mr. Rao is in his late sixties. “It takes good intentions, years of sincere effort, and loads of patience to build anything in life,” he was telling me, “But, to destroy, you don’t need any logic, patience or effort… It can go in one single sweep!”

Mr. Rao was telling me about two types of people in this world: Those who build, and those who bring down… How their minds operate… and, how their end, finally, comes. “I am a great advocate of any constructive work in life,” he told me, “It is worth working towards this cause.”

I am just fifty-three. “Will I be able to say what these senior citizens have just said?” I wondered, this morning, “What keeps them so alive?” 

“I hope you never lose your sense of wonder…”  I heard myself humming the lines from Lee Ann Womack’s famous song. The song kept coming to me all the while ever since I met the two amazing senior citizens, this morning. So, I thought I will play this song for my heroes… who reminded me of what this song does:

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder 

You get your fill to eat 

But always keep that hunger 

May you never take one single breath for granted 

God forbid love ever leave you empty handed 

I hope you still feel small

When you stand by the ocean 

Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens 

Promise me you'll give fate a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance 

I hope you dance

I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance 

Never settle for the path of least resistance

Living might mean taking chances 

But they're worth taking 

Lovin' might be a mistake 

But it's worth making 

Don't let some hell bent heart 

Leave you bitter 

When you come close to selling out 

Reconsider 

Give the heavens above 

More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance 

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always) 

I hope you dance 

(Rolling us along) 

I hope you dance 

(Tell me who) 

I hope you dance 

(Wants to look back on their years and wonder) 

(Where those years have gone)

Yes, many a times, I do wonder: what makes Life worth living? And, many a times, I do find the answer!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.: Vinod Korgaonkar