Too old (not) to rock n roll!

Mumbai's senior folk are learning to live it up... again "I have enjoyed greatly the second blooming that comes when you finish the life of the emotions and of personal relations; and suddenly find -- at the age of fifty, say -- that a whole new life has opened before you." --Novelist Agatha Christie Software programmer Amit Ajwani's mom used to be a straitlaced, teetotalling and reserved professor. Then, at 55, she turned into a gregarious, witty -- and occasionally beerguzzling -- socialite almost overnight. His mom's two-year-old transformation continues to be a source of both fond amusement and exasperation for Amit. "Intrinsically, she's the same person, but she's become more lively, as if she's found youth again," he says. The Gu Danian Demography Institute in Beijing recently found that people's psychological attitudes toward ageing have changed greatly. A survey carried out among people between 40 to 90 shows that 22.7 per cent of men and 19.5 per cent of women in this age group say they do not feel old. More older people around the world are now attending colleges and even looking to remarry. The same might just be true for India. Admits Dattatray V Kamat, who recently retired from an airline, "I felt carefree on retiring. It's time to relax a bit. I feel a fresh enthusiasm for life and still feel capable of productive activity." At 49, Dr Manisha Diwakar Raote completed her doctorate, something that was a huge confidence-enhancing exercise for her. "My studies are extremely self-satisfying. Apart from confidence, I made a huge number of friends and the exposure was great." Clinical psychologist Varkha Chulani elaborates, "With the dissolution of the joint family, children moving out and increased post-retirement savings, there comes a time when 50-plus people realise that there are fewer responsibilities and more time on hand. It's called the 'emptiness syndrome'." Although Chulani feels it is a healthy phenomenon, she cautions against overdoing it. "It's good that more and more people are choosing to fulfil their lives and ambitions in more meaningful ways. But one should also take into account the limitations of their age and the dignity that should accompany it," she concludes.