Silver revolt against ageism

The other day, a colleague full of mischief declared: “From today, I’m going to call you ‘Auntie’ until you scream in frustration!” I burst out laughing as I replied, “You might be waiting a while.” I never found the word “Auntie” offensive. But in that moment, a memory from 25 years ago came flooding back, one that I had carefully filed away in the “Oops” folder of my mind.

Recently married, I once accompanied my mother-in-law to her cat party, all excited and distraught. In the middle of chatting and sipping chai, without thinking, I accidentally called one of the younger women “Auntie.” The way she looked at me, you would have thought I had just committed a national crime! I half expected the room to erupt in chants of “Tante mat kaho na!” – like in that old soap opera, Hum Paanch.

Lesson learned: the word “Auntie” sounds like Voldemort to some people. You don’t speak it!

Ah, the eternal quest for youth! It seems some adults would rather fight time itself than admit a wrinkle or two. Take the case of Kanpur, where a couple managed to pull off the ultimate anti-aging coup by duping more than a dozen people for 35 million rupees with the promise of an Israeli-made “time machine” who could wind their clock at a brisk pace. 25! Imagine the pitch: “Come forward, transform your 60 years into a new 20!” All for the low price of a lifetime’s savings!

But here’s the problem: Once victims realized they’d been scammed, most of them were too embarrassed to report it to the police. After all, admitting that you were cheated into buying a time machine? It’s like admitting you tried to order a fountain of youth on Amazon!

Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz has shared some insightful thoughts on the pressure to maintain youth, especially in Hollywood. In an interview promoting a book, she explained how society, particularly the entertainment industry, often expects women to hide the natural signs of aging, such as wrinkles and gray hair. Diaz pointed out that these unrealistic standards fuel anxiety about aging, leading many people to resort to cosmetic and corrective procedures. She criticized the showbiz world for contributing to this ageism.

If that doesn’t offer enough wisdom, let’s turn to our epics for further insight. Remember the story of King Yayati in the Mahabharata, who was cursed by Shukracharya to become old immediately due to his indulgence in worldly pleasures despite being married to Shukracharya’s daughter Devayani. Yayati was not ready to give up his desires and begged Shukracharya to relieve him of the curse. Shukracharya partially relented, allowing Yayati to exchange his old age with one of his sons. Yayati’s son Puru agreed to take care of his father’s old age, while Yayati enjoyed his youth for several years. Having finally realized the futility of endless desires, Yayati returned Puru’s youth and accepted the inevitability of old age, rewarding Puru by making him heir to her throne.

Many of us, myself included, still cling to the little vice of retaining our fleeting youth by coloring our hair. I’m still trying to get rid of the habit of chasing those crazy years with a bottle of dye. So I really admire people who flaunt their natural grays and whites brilliantly. One of my colleagues, after all the post-Covid “new normal”, decided to give up the dye. We all took turns begging her to bring back the color, but she stood firm, like a silver-streaked superhero, refusing our requests with the grace of a seasoned rebel, flaunting her beautiful glory. After all, embracing age with confidence is the ultimate rebellion against society’s obsession with youth.

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