Mind the gap, and close it!

Senior citizens come in all shapes and sizes but the one common thing is a wish to have more meaningful engagement with the younger generation. I feel this gap is not due to active resistance from either quarter but because the world is moving fast. The harder we try to close the gap, the faster technology helps the younger generation to leave us far behind.

I am reminded of the speed walkways at airports where passengers can jump on and feel younger as they seemingly stride forward. Those of us who prefer to use our own legs are left far behind. Youngsters will take pains to explain to us that technology can now empower us to keep abreast. But what if I ask the young to slow down to discover simpler joys and quote from the poem by WH Davies, “What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?”

The other day as we were walking on the street. We paused at the intersection when a car swung towards us to take a turn and hooted impatiently for us to step back. Usually we senior citizens scramble to do just that, but that day I decided to resort to some hand gestures to imply… “Please wait. I will cross by and by. You will be able to turn in a moment!”

I felt the young man got the message because I sensed a pause in the engine’s snorting and there was a moment of complete amity.

Recently two young students studying design engineering approached me for an interview on smartphone use. “Have you used the alarm facility on your phone to remind you to take your medicines?” “Oh, yes”, I said, “ and then waited anxiously for the alarm to ring so I could switch it off!!” “How many telephone numbers can you memorise? “ they asked. They were taken aback when they heard me say, “upwards of 30!” But these are not superhuman feats. This is the way we lived and functioned. Knowing how to give directions orally and not by GPS, walking to the neighbourhood store to buy our provisions and stopping to have a leisurely chat with the vegetable seller are essential.

When the pandemic hit us all, there was much concern about how the older generation would cope. But looking around me, I venture to say that we have done alright. We have endured these long house arrests and lack of social contacts with amazing grace! Understandably the younger ones have fretted much more at the lack of mobility. So why am I highlighting these differences? Only to say that the two generations can be of support and help to one another. There is much we can exchange as long as we have understanding and mutual respect.

Mind the gap? Yes, and close it!