Obsolete? A Rendezvous

                        

I looked at the navigator and it was pointing to the first right turn after about 500 meters on the freeway. We had started from Pemberton early in the morning and were on the Vasse highway. I took the turn and slowed the car as we had entered the muddy track leading to the next spot of tourist interest. Since the speed had come down from 110 kph to about 20 kph, I opened the window glasses. The green trees, fresh air and a typical wet fragrance of the Karri forest made the drive memorable. We were driving in Warren national park located in South Western Australia. We were in company of my good friend Arun and his family from Perth.

After driving for about 3 kilometers we could see a board on which was written “Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree”. We took a turn and slowly made it to the parking bay. We walked towards the Bicentennial tree which looked huge and magnificent.  The tree had a resting tower at 75 meters height with a first rest platform at about 25 meters height. The climb to the tower was made of about 165 climbing pegs.

The kids started climbing the tree fast. I took three steps on the climbing pegs. My wife asked me “Hey do you want to do the full climbing? “. “Of course” I replied. “I read that recently one person went up to the top and had a mild heart attack and it was very difficult to get him down. Later he was treated and heard that he has recovered now” she added. I immediately climbed down and jumped off the tree. “What happened?” she asked. “On second thought I think this is for kids, not for me” I said. She laughed “I think you got scared”.

I did not pay heed to her words and went to the nearby wooden bench and sat on it. To my right three elderly persons were sitting. I looked at them, smiled and greeted them. The person next to me returned the gesture. 

I looked around the place and could find about 100 tourists. It was interesting to see about 35 to 40 elderly persons in the crowd. I asked the person next to me “you all are from the same group?” “Yep” he answered and pointed out to the two buses parked. “We have come in the two buses. We are senior citizens and we have come from places around the Margaret River”. I nodded and started walking to the wash room. I came out of the wash and walked to the hand wash basin to wash my hands. The wash basin was fixed to a tree and there were some elders near it.

I smiled at them and said Hello. They greeted me and asked if I was a tourist. I nodded gesturing that they were right.

“You are an Indian?” One elderly person asked me. He was from the same group. “Yes I am an Indian and we have come from India. “ I said.

I was shocked when the elderly lady standing next to him asked me “Are you the chief of your tribe in India?”  Coming back to senses I said “I am neither a chief nor I belong to any tribe. I am an engineer and an ordinary middle class citizen”. She then replied a bit apologetically “Do not think otherwise. I have spent my entire life in a small place near the Margaret River and I seldom come across Indians. I have heard some stories about India and since it looks like you have come all the way to our nation with family on a vacation, I thought you must be rich and famous”. I told her “Things are very different in India now. We are a much better off nation, our affordability is much higher and many of us can speak and write very good English.”

“Hey I am Tom and I am a retired scientist and Physics has been my subject, first love and passion” the man standing next to her told me. I shook hands with him and saw my daughter coming towards us. She told “Daddy shall I wash my hands? It has become dirty since I was holding the climbing pegs to climb the tree”. “Sure, clean your hands” I replied.

 “Hey young lady how are you doing?” Tom said with a smile. She replied “Am doing fine”.

 “You should be about 10 years of age. Listen, I have some good science information for you. Have you observed the swirl of the water while it goes into the drain of the wash basin” Tom quizzed. We observed the swirl with lot of curiosity.

Tom added “The water while going into the drain swirls in a direction opposite to what it would have taken in India. You know the reason? You are now in southern Hemisphere. Your nation is to the north of Equator.”

Tom then introduced his friend Adam to us. Adam also a senior citizen owned a vineyard in the Margaret river basin. We started talking. I asked Adam about how he was finding life at his age.

He replied “I am obsolete now”.  

I was taken aback. I told Adam that I found their entire group to be filled with enthusiasm but what made his say so. I asked him if his children made him feel so. To this he replied that he was happy with them and they visited him almost every weekend. I then asked him if the state made him feel so to which his answer was in negative. He then added that new techniques of grape growing were introduced and he was unable to cope up with them. “Couple of decades ago we had pagers as important means of communication but now they are obsolete. My case is also similar and I have become obsolete” he said.

I then started explaining to him how he and his elderly friends were important for the society.  I told him how Tom had captured  my daughter's attention. We both looked at them. They were deeply engrossed in discussion. I added “Adam, my daughter generally does not speak to strangers. Today she is talking to Tom and enjoying his lecture on physics.” You guys can never be obsolete. Elders are like pillars of a society. Be it Australian or Indian. You guys have experience with you which is very important for society building. Why do you compare yourself to a pager? Pager is an electronic item and it depreciates very fast. You should compare yourself to wine. Like wine you become more valuable as you age.”

“You know Adam, what we do in India when we meet elders?” I said.

 Adam looked at me with curiosity and asked “tell me”.

I bowed and said “We seek their blessings”. He looked at me and said “You are a good human.”

The kids had started climbing the tree again. Adam said “Go and live your life to the full. Join your family and climb the tree to the top tower. Do it before you start feeling you are Obsolete”.