Becoming old is a natural sequential process every human being has to undergo in normal life. It is one of the stages of growing and decaying as for every higher living thing.
In Indian philosophy (and as per Vaaghbhata in Ayurveda) there are four stages in our full life. They are Baalyam, Kaumaaram, Yauvanam and Vaardhakya. They correspond to 1)Childhood, (2)Adolescence,(3)Youth and (4)old age.
Old age is roughly from age of 50 years to till life end.
Thus old age is inevitable for a person of normal longevity. What can be achieved is advancing and delaying of ageing or minimizing the negative effects of ageing if we manage our health and life well with a disciplined and regulated life style as prescribed by the Ayurveda and even by the modern medical science.
Old age is considered by many people as a curse. This is because of the attendant difficulties and ill health during those years. It also has reason of dependence on others due to financial and physical difficulties. We have the story of Yayati and Puru in Mahabharat. The King Yayati who wanted to continue to enjoy life exchanged his old age with his son Puru.
However in the modern era of health and wealth conscious people who follow a healthy life regime and follow a disciplined and planned financial practices, with all other conveniences of modern life, old age need not be taken as a curse, but can be enjoyed well.
It all depends on one's attitude and self cultivation of confidence also.
In the present conditions, it is in the old age that people actually start living for themselves. It is a stage when the elders are free of their responsibilities of bringing up children, educating them and many other domestic responsibilities. After retirement they have enough time and for many people sufficient money obtained as retirement benefits etc. The lucky ones will also have strong support from their earning children.
For those who do not have much retirement benefits also, there are many schemes from government and other sources for taking care of the elders' needs.
Hence I suggest tthat old age need not be (and should not be) looked upon as a curse, but to be taken as a second life, with all lessons learned from life till now. Old age is the real time people can live for themselves.
Let us believe and be convinced ( and not just use for our speeches and writings) that " Old is Gold" and Gold is appreciating in value every day.
Old people are not Seniors but Senior teenagers or " Seenagers".
Even otherwise let us take old age as simply growing and becoming more experienced and expertise. After all, even Yayati gave back the youth of his son and got back his own old age on realizing his ignorance of life and knowing the temporality of body and permanence of Aatma.
