sam
09-18-2005, 05:09 PM
Share ko lang yung 3rd article ko na naprint sa Tokyo Notice Board (TNB). This is also in celebration of the Respect for the Aged Day (tama ba?). enjoy reading! 
To age or not to age
My father is pushing 70, and has been complaining of his declining vitality. I think he is in the period of his life when he cannot accept yet that despite his alertness of mind, his body is gradually and surely slowing down. He is in denial stage, and his mind cannot cope up with his aging body. He still wants to work and insists that he should be doing more productive activities.
Not wanting to slighten the feelings of my hyper-sensitive father, I have been trying my best to explain to him that he is not sick. He may be feeling very weak and uncomfortable most of the time but the fact is, he is just getting old.
So when I came here in Tokyo, I was surprised to see many old people everywhere. Most are probably much older than my father but they will probably – no, definitely – be the objects of his envy.
Old people here serve in McDonald’s, work in convenience stores, build houses, climb electric posts, and many still enjoy riding the bicycle. (Not to mention that a lot are still very active in the government and business circles). It is simply quite a feat for those in the league of septuagenarians, octogenarians, or even older.
The ojiisans and obaasans I meet here in Tokyo are probably even much stronger than me. Inside the trains, they are not the ones to rush to get seats. I am, but not in the priority seats.
Back home in the Philippines, it is quite seldom to see old people in the streets alone, and much less working in places supposedly exclusive for young people. Most of the time, the old folks are in constant company of younger relatives when going outside or just taking rests inside the house.
Here, I expect to see more of them everyday, and transact with them in the daily business of life. And most of the time, they remind me of my father.
They maybe quite a lot more genki than him, but just the same, I can’t help but pity them. Looking at them, I feel the burden of time, of having to live this long – their spirits trapped in bodies wanting to return where they came from – dust.
At times also, the sight of them livens me up, reminding me that the prime of life may be in youth, but it doesn’t have to go away with the passing of years. Indeed, each day should always be the prime of every life, at any age.
Whenever I get to talk to my father, I still try to make him understand that he just have to cope with growing old. There is no choice on whether to age or not to age; that is not the question.
Slowing down has prevented him from doing much physical activities like what his counterparts do here in Tokyo. But only that. For all of his other favourite activities, like watching over his grandchildren, accompanying my mother, and praying, Father has all the time in the world.
nonoy
09-18-2005, 10:21 PM
Hi Sam,
Thanks for giving tribute to the older persons, which I am personally interested. Actually, natutuwa nga ako kapag nakikita ko sa TV dito sa Pilipinas ang ilang stories on Japan, particularly the one featuring older persons na pumupunta sa dagat at nagunguha ng shells. They appear so energetic. Di ko tuloy maiwasang i-compare din ang lola ko sa probinsiya na feeling niya nga ay talagang mahina na siya. Kapag umuuwi ako sa province, minamasahe ko siya at ang parati niyang inaasahan sa akin, gupitan ko siya ng kuko.
Hanggang sa muli.
chepot
09-19-2005, 03:34 AM
it is true na talagang super duper malalakas ang mga nenpai (silver age citizens)dito compare satin…like my mother in law, shes turning 70 on the 25th pro, still alive and kicking…nag may i walk sya almost everyday sa park and 2x a week eh may i shako dansu (social dancing)sya… masyado syang body conscious and she really looks young at her age.she’s living alone(buti na lang at di ko kasama sa bahay coz eldest ang hausband ko meaning “chonan no yome” ako)
pro, i pity her coz one time she went to the hospital for her eyes to be operated(lazer treatment), isa lang syang nagpupunta…ive asked my hubby kung ok lang yon? sabi naman nya, ok lang coz we have our work daw to do…i directly asked her na pwede ko syang samahan but she refused…or kung medyo alinlangan sakin, bat kaya di samahan ng sis-in-law ko? di nyo ba nanonotice yon sa loob ng mga hospitals na minsan talagang may mga lola na uugod ugod tapos, nag-iisa din…? naisip ko tuloy my mother sa PI when she was still alive, never namin pinagisa sa hospital…parang nata touch ako and thought na talaga bang mga cold blooded ang mga japanese? di ko po naman nilalahat pro, siguro, yon talaga ang culture nila kaya, yon din ang nagpapalakas sa kanila coz di sila umaasa sa mga anak nila…
nway, HAPPY SENIOR CITIZEN!!!(:confuse d: )sa lahat ng lolos and lolas…oh my gosh!!ilang taon na lang, kasama na ko don :weep: :noteeth: mwahh…
adechan
09-19-2005, 11:08 AM
reading this, reminds me of my lola who died way back before when i am still in PI.
74 years old when she died. naalala ko, palipat lipat siya nang pagbabakasyon sa mga anak niya which includes our family. When she stayed with us, very energetic pa siya, though alam namin na matanda na siya at hindi na dapat masyadong pakilusin. Pero mapilit po siya. And since mga busy kami talaga sa bahay, marami talagang gawain, lalo pa may tindahan kami at may mad-jongan (though we already stopped our parents having that). Masaya siya dito sa amin.
Then nang bumalik na siya sa Manila, doon sa panganay na kapatid nang tatay ko, mga one month after yata bigla siyang namatay. Narinig ko sa mga kuwento kuwento, masama daw ang loob nang namatay siya. Sa Manila kasi hindi na siya talaga pinapakilos. Nagtampo daw. Nagalit at sabing wala na daw siyang silbi, wala daw siyang magawa, hindi puwede ito, iyon, iyan. Nang kinaumugahan hindi na po siya nagising.
Dito na realize ko ngayon reading Sam’s article, siguro ang mga matatanda dito, kailangan pa rin kaseng kumilos at magtrabaho, and very supportive and government sa kanila. Unlike sa atin, usually very much love ang ating mga lolo’t lola, bihira lang ang kailangang ilagay sa mga bahay nang matatanda, likas pa rin sa atin ang personal na pag-aalaga sa matatanda natin. Hindi nila kailangang magtrabaho pa, or do more things. Usually alaga na lang. Though not all.
Pero sa mga probinsiya sa atin maraming mga matatanda na pero nakakapag-tanim at nakaka-pag ani pa at meron pang mga nakakapangisda pa.
May old sayings na pag may misyon ka pa at purpose living in earth, hindi ka pa mamatay. Siguro nga totoo lalo na sa mga matatanda. If there is still a purpose for them to live, naturally even of old age, their body still stay in fit, because their strength came from their healthy heart with passion to live for a purpose. But when the heart died having passion to live, naturally the body accompanies to the heart beats, and old bodies are already weak, it goes down.
probably … we all need a purpose to live, even to the oldies.
eps
09-19-2005, 02:24 PM
To an elderly person, his reaction can be either pessimistic or optimistic. If he is a pessimist, he will say, “The better part of my life is gone. There is little more that I can accomplish.” 
But if he is an optimist, he will say; “The better part of my my life is not over yet. I shall make the most of the years which remain for me on this earth.”
The latter half of a person’s life is actually more important than the first half. Physically, of course, we are all stronger in our youth. If we profit from experience, however, we are wiser men and better men in our more mature years — and are still able to accomplish more for the welfare of the world.
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