Age Old ill-treatment to Old Age

Saw an elderly woman walking.... or should I say stumbling in vanity by the bikes parked besides the road as I got out of my bank at F.C. Road today. I realized in a second the pain she was going through. I started asking myself- "Could i do anything for her? Could others too donate a few rupees to her? Is she able to manage herself?"

I was blank. Or may be didn't have the courage to face the truth. When I reached for my bike she turned towards me. And I, like most of the people would do, started checking my pockets for any coins. Fortunately or unfortunately I found a five rupee coin which I gladly put in her hand hoping to see a smile on her face. She looked up, looked into my eyes and her face showed a sign of smile. I am not too sure whether she tried to smile and could not or she could not make out it was a five rupee coin through her rusty spectacles having lenses that looked more like magnifying glasses than spectacles. But I know my five rupees cannot give her happiness. I acted mean. May be I should have had the courage to take out a note worth more money from my wallet.

After giving a thought to this issue when I reached home I remembered my school taking me to Old Age homes every year and how we used to donate Rs. 30 out of our pocket money of Rs. 50 and still stay happy the whole month without that Pepsi in the canteen during lunch break.

So what happened as we grew up?

The answer is simple- Enter the Real World

But this real world of ours can be even more real if we pay real importance to the value of humanity which need not be taught to us in order to realize. If that one helpless old lady can smile a while with a few rupees being given to her... I am sure she will be pleased if she can be taken care of. The answer is Old Age home. I will definitely try to talk to a few Old Age homes. And I also vow to donate a portion of my salary without fail every year.

I also got to know about a new system of donating online through credit cards or debit cards by a few of the well-known NGOs and Society's. One of them is HelpAge India.

Click here to visit their website.

And I request all the readers to think about this issue and to make a donation.