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Social Get Togethers

by Vimala Ramu
(Bangalore,India)

India has never lacked for colourful get togethers - be it marriage, thread ceremony, house warming, 13th day wake etc etc. I have always liked to dress up and attend these over the years.

Youngsters might find the elders’ gatherings vastly different from theirs. But, I can assure you that the gatherings of the senior citizens continue with the same zest as they did when they were young. When the crowd is heterogenous, the same adorations, compliments, attractions, flirtations etc etc. are seen; all harmless banter, with no hormones involved seriously. This is because, when people get acquainted, they do not do so with only the physical part. There is a connect at the soul level too. So, when they meet year after year or years later, the talk will not be of receding hair lines, migration of curves or even prostate glands and arthritis. The bonhomie with which they started their lives would continue to exist. That is why people seem to be so rejuvenated during class reunions or alumni meets. This will be present irrespective of what positions they have held in life or retired from.

With the ‘Great Leveller’ waiting to knock on their doors, people will be mature, relaxed and totally rid of their egos and insecurities which perhaps dominated their younger days. The rapport, empathy, understanding, the comfort level - call it what you like - one feels in the company of one’s own contemporaries, is a precious gift to man. So much so, when they are with their own age group, they hardly miss other age groups. This is true of every generation.

I do not know whether the generation older to us experienced this type of bonding. People used to get married early in life with hardly any time to develop individual identities. They would be known as ‘so and so’s son’ or ‘so and so’s wife’ etc.

When the younger generation happens to be around, they might find the talk about ‘good old days’ boring and the behaviour of old fuddy-duddies comical too. But, if the elders are happy to meet each other, it is because they are identified and respected for what they were, irrespective of the demerits brought on by later life.

The younger generation of today becomes the older generation of tomorrow. With the erosion of social values, I do not know what exactly will be the status of future generations.

But for now, I am happy to attend the ‘get together’s and meet all my old chronies-some toothless, some hairless …..!

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Mar 20, 2011
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critic
by: vimala ramu

Thanks a lot,Geeta for your insightful comments. How I wish I could have your review of my 3 books in a newspaper !(Sorry, I gave you only two books !!!)

Mar 19, 2011
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UNUSUAL AND SERIOUS
by: Geetashree Chatterjee

This post of yours is different from the rest. It is more of a social commentary. Analytical and incisive, it rightly delves into the various layers of social interaction.

While I am quite at ease with like minded people, I am extremely tongue tied in groups wherein the meeting of minds is conspicuous by its absence. I think age is not the binding factor, it is the metal wavelength!

Mar 14, 2011
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thanks
by: vimala

Thanks a lot, Sonal.

Mar 14, 2011
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Nice
by: Sonal

Loved this piece. One thing I wish to add- you will fit in any get together- be it of the older generation or the next one. :)

Mar 12, 2011
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very apt
by: vimala ramu

Thank you Isabel for agreeing with me so well though you must be one on the younger side.

Mar 12, 2011
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immortalized in...
by: isabel

This is so true, we meet our longtime friends and we never see them nor notice them toothless, wrinkled, disfigured by enormous fat cells or the patches of hair that was left on their scalp. The spirit of friendship remained and the young sweet faces from long ago immortalized in our memories.

It must be nice to attend this kind of gathering,even if the younger generation will classify it as boring and uninteresting... Would gladly attend it anytime!

Mar 12, 2011
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thanks
by: Anonymous

As a contemporary I was quite sure you would take my article in the right spirit,Pankaja. Thank you.

Mar 12, 2011
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networking
by: vimala ramu

What you said is true Seetharam. I don't know whether networking will be an alternative way of connecting or the only way of connecting!

Mar 12, 2011
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You said it !
by: Seetharam

I don't think the next generation will have get togethers the way we do. In the not-too-distant future, people ( the youngsters of today )will get together on the Internet like net working on the Facebook !

Mar 12, 2011
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How true!
by: nuggehallipankaja

How true! I to have experienced the same feelings,
but keep a check on it when our youngsters are around, for fear of of appearing ludicrous. Many a time I have refrained from opening out to a long-last . . . . sudden -met person but have repented it afterwards, since fate has not allowed us to meet again.Your article though written in a lighter vein, leads to reflective thinking.

Mar 12, 2011
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thanks
by: vimala ramu

Thanks a lot, Sneha. I have already commented on one of your poems. I shall do so for the second one too.

Mar 11, 2011
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Social Get Togethers
by: Sneha

Your article shows a profound maturity one expects from you, dear Vimala.
I love the ease and the flow of language you have.
We can make a compilation of all your recent articles in a hardbound book, really!

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