Time weighs down heavily on retired men

It is an accepted fact of life that once anyone discovers that he has to spend his 24-hours without going to office and getting embroiled in office politics, whether with his boss or his subordinates, the individual has no clue of how to spend his time.
Routine jobs take up very little percentage of the available time, hence he has to perforce find out ways and means to tackle the menace of Time with a capital T.
Therefore we can see them spend time in libraries – big cities like Kolkata used to have air-conditioned libraries of consulates like the British Council or the United States Information Service or the National Library. The elderly would go there in the morning and, after browsing through the latest newspapers and magazines, would doze off. The people who looked after the library would alert them after a reasonable amount of time.

Then there are those who join bridge clubs or chess clubs. Both the games take up enough time to allow the players to forget the present and enter a world of fantasy where he is set to conquer the cherished titles of Grand Master.
Gardening is another area where a selected few devote their time. Gardening would not necessarily mean roses and dahlias but also kitchen garden that can produce the green chili or the tomato or lemon or pumpkin. These are plants that can give results without much problems. All they need are watering, turning over the soil, and adding tiny doses of manure.
If one is lucky enough to be living with grandchildren, it is considered to be a major achievement as well as a bonus. Achievement because, today most of the sons find jobs away from their native place and develop their own circle of friends and acquaintances. A Generation Gap intervenes and the elders have to adjust to a new way of life.
The bonus part is about adapting to the changed scenario all around. Like the mall culture, the dining out culture, the plastic money culture and the online buying culture. (to be continued …)

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