Experience is nothing but the ability to know, how to act upon a certain situation by drawing from the collective knowledge of the actions and consequences of similar past actions.
Today while going for a brisk walk for a couple of miles, I came across an elderly gentlemen, powered by my enthusiasm to remain fit and by a Shakira number, I was literally jumping on the pavement. This sprightly gait of mine startled him and he stopped in his step. I quickly pulled out the white wires out of my ears and I promptly apologised to the gentleman for scaring him. He just gave me a kind smile and told me that nothing scares him anymore. He told me that he was 93 and I complemented him on keeping so fit. After wishing Happy Thanksgiving we parted and I continued with my pace but sans the ear plugs to blow my ear drums ajar.
I started thinking that this gentleman must have experienced so many things in person, had seen both the World wars, the mass production of automobiles, the industrialization, the Great depression, Birth of computers, Beginning of space program and what not.
It seems to me that basics of human life have not changed, men still fight over women, they still love to dominate over others, they want to increase their territory. Just that means of proving ones supremacy have changed.
I guess it would have been good, if we could draw upon the rich experience of elderly folks to reduce the chaos in our lives and bring more happiness in it.But, it seems that it is not happening anytime soon, as it is fashionable to write them off, as past generation. Well, till that date, we will keep on reinventing the wheel out of our sheer arrogance and ignorance and keep on paying the price dearly with the quality of life.
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