Life comes with beautiful stages. Blissful childhood, energetic youth, mellowed down middle age and golden old age. These can easily be hateful childhood, erratic youth, cowed down middle age and rotten old age. Some are lucky and some suffer; often without a rhyme or a reason. But life still is beautiful !
We see some precocious little talents among us and some exceedingly brilliant young achievers. It is often the middle age during which most of the people reach the peak of success and popularity.
Not many manage to retain the verve, valor and vigor in the sixties and seventies. Blessed are those one in a million who not only manage to remain active but even outdo much younger people for a place under the sun.
From time immemorium, we have heard "Age is just a number". But take a look at who is talking. The voices are mostly of those sports-persons on the verge of retirement or face-lifted movie stars. The truth is, whatever you do, the nature and age will catch up with everyone and that is the law of nature!
So which is the most beautiful stage of life?
Childhood? I would say it looks beautiful in retrospection. But a child always has to grow up. The worries are manifold and they are getting worse by the day. Being a child isn't child's play anymore !
Middle age brings with it greater financial security and power. But it also brings in a lot of responsibilities, stress, lifestyle disorders and also the fear of premature death.
Old age can be a boon if one has a supportive family or network and most importantly health. But it mostly comes with bereavements due to loss of friends and peers and an unending list of health related complaints. Neglect by children and miseries of loneliness come to haunt.
So which is the best period of life ? Youth is the best, Period !
The little boy or girl wants to grow up and be like someone whom they idolize. "Mein badi hokar Doctor banoongi" or "Mein bada hokar Pilot banoonga" etc.
The middle aged one like me, will yearn for those free bird days; in spite of a lot more money, power, family and friends. Why ?
Any senior man or woman will definitely think of his or her own youth and say, "Hamaara bhi ek zamaana hua karta tha" "We too had our days".
Take a look at life from any stage and from any angle, "Life is nothing but a celebration of Youth". Every other stage is necessary only to aspire for or to yearn for or to be nostalgic about !
The dancing thrills of a Demi-God Hero or the romancing skills of an NRI hero. The will to succeed against all odds or the out of the box thinking. The rebel with a cause or the heart-throb lover boy. The main ingredient of life is all about what the youth does. All else are supporting roles; necessary, but just.
We have seen so many colors of lover and as many different lovers. The Innocent lover, the Brooding lover, the Crazy lover, the Mischievous lover, the Jumping Jack, the Lover boy, the Sacrificing lover, the Tapori lover, the Villainous lover, the Scheming lover, the Shy lover, the Lusty lover and the Current day lover; we have seen them all.
Legends from all races, cultures, religions and regions from any time in history have been about youth and the conquests of the free spirit of youth. Vidhu Vinod Chopra called Dev Anand 'The Original Idiot' during one of the award ceremonies. Most of the youth of today believe Dev Anand is a senile film-maker making one flop movie after another.
What they fail to see is This ! An extraordinarily handsome Dev Anand had captured the imagination of a nation and set afire the hearts of thousands of girls of those days. And a ravishingly beautiful Waheeda Rehaman went on to rule the hearts of the youth for many years.
They look like this today !
Let us adore and protect the Childhood, celebrate the Youth, enjoy the power of Middle age with responsibility and respect Old age and learn to age gracefully so that our future generations don't scoff at us.
Because "This Shaayari" summarizes what life is all about !
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