Ageing of the Mind – Ladies, This Time It’s A Warning Bell!

Dear Kamla,

When we introdued Sharu Rengeneker a famous Mgt Consultant to the audience, he responded with these words.

"I wish my parents were here to hear those words. My father would have enjoyed themand my mother would have believed them."

I am reminded of his words when I see your words on my writing. I am tempted to take a printout of your post and give it to my publisher and mag.editors. That way I can hope to increase the royalty and the honorarium. ha ha ha.

I have been praised and accused of the one quality I have - that is calling a spade a spade. But at times I do it in so many words, at times in a single word, "spade."

Now I will adopt the latter strategy. I could see from your pics that you are graceful and from your varied posts on various forums, that you mind is still young and agile. I was especially moved by your individual response to all the contestants this morning.
Keep it up, Kamla.
L,
sridhar

Dear VS,

Gandhiji told Rajaji the first five words of the title of my message. I am not as great as Gandhiji, but after reading your balanced, matured comments on my posts, I am very gladly assigning that CK post to you. All the best.

And you really made me think with that one thought. Three things come to my mind.
1) Valluvar says that one has to smile in the face of difficulty. So (I think it was Kannadasan) the poet answered back,
பாம்பு வந்து கடிக்கையில் பாழும் உடல் துடிக்கையில்
யாருக்கையா பொங்கி வரும் சிரிப்பு?
thats true. to smile in the face of difficulty is mental health. But when bodily health is affected, like for example, when a snake has bitten, how can the mind be healthy?
2) In answer to this I need to quote the life of Stephen Hawking, one of the most original scientists after Einstein. When he registered for Ph.D. he was told that the Ph.D course is for a minimum of three years, whereas he had only 2 years to live thanks to his nervous disease ALS. But he survived that and to day he is 65. Unable to walk, talk, move about or do anything else. Confined to a wheel chair. But in terms of mental health, he is certainly tops. Certainly far better than some of the most healthy football heros like David Beckham.

3) The next answer to this is an incident reported by writer Sujatha. He had a serious health problem which took him to the gates of death. One night suffering from extreme pain he did not know what to do. He went to his desk and penned a chapter of his novel. And then went to bed at about 4 in the morning. The next day he was admitted to hospital and was discharged after some 2, 3 weeks. When he sent the chapter he wrote to the mag, the editor told him that it was the best chapter ever written.
The idea is that if one learns to protect her mental health when one is physically fit then it comes handy when one is ill.

You know Matrubootham the sex doctor? He used to go to dialysis twice a week. He will just take a joke book and go there as if it is a picnic place. And he kept his mind so alert that his sex talk show was more on humour than on sex.

Your warning that the physical health should not be ignored is taken in the right spirit, Madam.
Thanks for the participation. Looking forward to your starting a Kannadasan thread.
regards,
sridhar

Dear Vidhi Madam,
Thanks for those nice words. The words you have given in bold, expresses your bold views on ageing. I appreciate the candour, Madam.
I really feel flattered that replying to my post prevents mental ageing. Really flattered.
Have a great Pongal.
sridhar

Hello Meena,

Before you took of your hat in my honour, I would like to see you with hats on. Ha ha ha.

One thing this writerly life has taught me is to see how others think and how others view things. Had I directly started mental ageing very few ladies would have come near it. So you are right, I calculated. What are accountants for?

Thanks for including my threads as a brain-activity along with sudokus, crosswords et al.
You know something, Meena? Respoding to your posts makes me even more alert than when I write my leader post.
Thanks Meena,
sridhar

You have given so many points for me and other ILites to think over. I dont think I can reply to your points. Your post supplements my leader post very well.

It is true that when it comes to ageing that women take all the load and hence age faster; whereas men sipping coffee, prepared by their wives and idling before the tvs dont age much. But thats only physical ageing, Radha.

A woman who works with her children in the course of time acquired enormous intelligence that she is mentally far more agile than her husband.

This morning a couple came to me for consultation. They are my clients. They run a small company. The husband is in some problem. He was about to sign some document in a police station. But the wife raised a hue and cry and prevented that. This morning I congratulated the wife that she had done the right thing. The husband could realise his mistake only now.

Generally women with the same degree of exposure as men, are more intelligent than men because they keep their minds taut, even if their bodies are sagging.

Well-written Radha. You are not wrong.
regrads,
sridhar

Hello Sridhar,

I shall surely send a pic of me wearing a hat!!! No probs..
Promise you, I actually look (too) good wearing one -
You say hats & the first thing that comes to mind is the diff hats the royal family of british wear - any news about them & I look around for princess & the Queen to see the hats.

BTW, why more alert while replying me????
I'm such a nice kiddo comparatively.

Hello Meena,

About your looking good with the hat on, I take your word for that and am not demanding any further proof, in the form of a picture. Ok?

For me hats or caps never sat comfortably on my heads, nor could I sit anywhere with the hat on. It was in 1980 I went for a total tonsure of the head and like any other freshtly tonsured I went for an attractive cap. I went with that cap as a CA apprentice. A friend commented, "Mottai sridhar is far better than the one with the cap."

I threw my hat away and have never looked back.

And Madam, one has to be really alert while replying to a comparitively nice kiddo. For the not so nice kiddos, I can reply even while I am sleeping. For nice kiddos I need to be extra careful.
ha ha ha.
A happy Pongal and a Kaanum Pongal.
sridhar

Dear Varalotti,

Sorry for joining in when you have almost finished responding to all the replies. I should admit, Varalotti, you have a way with these ladies.

I could see many ladies working out on brain-teasers puzzles right now in the site. Good you drove them to some action.

Varalotti, I tried very hard to cry reading about Guhans words. As you very poetically suggested I took my hands to my eyes. I would very much love to lie that it was wet. It was not. And it remained dry till I had a handwash. At last I could see some wetness.

Jokes apart, Varalotti, all these things are relative. May be the Kambar-Bharathan-Guhan combination can make you cry. No need it should make every one cry. I cried on seeing Ten commandments, which I am sure will leave your eyes dry. Titanic made me sob with tears. I am not sure of its effect on you.

If you say that the bottom line is that something should move you to tears, (it could be anything from a timeless epic to the cry of an unattended child) then I agree with you wholeheartedly.

It's your time, Varalotti. The floor is yours. You can venture in to even bolder topics like possessiveness, jealousy, human relationships, the particularly fragile female ego (there is not much to discuss about male egos here; they are the same, whatever you talk and teach) - cover a wide range and make this forum educative.

I really enjoyed your post. And more than that I enjoyed the ladies' posts. And much more than that I enjoyed your "goody-goody" replies.

Good job.
sriranjani

Ageing of mind.
I have watched two ladies many times.They remain same in difficult and happy situations. I think ageing couldn't conquer their mind. Got these points while observing them.
don't be jealous.
don't be possessive.
don't be greedy.
don't involve in other's personal matters without invitation. If invited, can advice.
don't discuss other's faults but finds their good deeds. and talks about it.
have to mingle with elders, youngsters and kids with same mentality, adding little humour even in serious talks. It is many more things I have found. If say , a positive attitude towards life.

Dear Sriranjani,

When you mocked my words on hands getting wet, I became quite furious and prepared myself for a hot, hot reply. But then you yourself have given the answer in the form of what you think is the bottom line.

Since you asked the question and you yourself gave the answer, you got full marks. Congrats. (Well, I know who give wrong answers for their own questions)

It is difficult to say whether you are praising me or condemning me. When you start to attack me and I feel uncomfortable, there come some soothing words of praise. As I am lulled into a sense of comfort and security (albeit false) you take out whip and lash me.

But since you said you enjoyed the post at the end, that is all that matters. And for me that is the only bottomline worth reckoning.

Jealousy, the FFE (fragile female ego), possessiveness I can even now smell the smoke that comes after the bomb has exploded. But I am not afraid of bombs, at least in the metaphorical sense, will take up all those topics one by one, Sriranjani.
I have already a couple of pms from ILites. I need to give priority to one pm on a hot topic since it jells with what you have suggested.
So ILites and especially you, sriranjani, stay tuned.
sridhar