Gizmo collectors!

Sure enough. Why deny her the simplest of pleasures by hiring a robot to look after her? And you know, this gadget thing can sometimes make your heart shrink in fear. I was once presented a gadget that would open envelopes for me! I had to insert one end of the envelope into a horizontal socket and the machine would automatically slide the envelope over to its other end, smoothly slicing off a thin edge from the top. Letter reading is so much easier this way isn't it???

 

Dear Sri:

I read this post once again today and feel like commenting once again.

These are well expressed sentiments in your inimitable style. And yes, the captain surely deserves her due.

For a reason I can't quite figure out, your post reminded me of my mil. She loved me like a son, though she had three of her own. Could have had something to do with my wife being the youngest of her children and the only daughter she had.

She was one great captain that I happen to have interacted with. Here education was close to zero and are captaincy quality literally limitless. The whole family depended on her as though she were the only adult in the household. She was a super gadget, always ready to solve every little problem that came up and solve them in true style.

Well, like all gadgets, one day she finally began to malfunction and no one knew how to repair the machine. Alzheimer's. It was strange really, because deep inside her subconscious, she remembered the sil she doted on. We went to see her and she smiled. They asked her if she knew who I was. She smiled even more pleasantly and said -- "Dipankar", a name by which she never addressed me. She would usually call me by my nick name! I knew she had recognized me and yet she had not.

We stayed with her for a few days. One morning she approached me with a question. "This woman who is visiting us with you ... appears to be your wife ... is she from thse parts?"

I stared at this once perfect machine for a while, overpowered by compassion. Then I asked her softly, "Don't you know how this woman is related to you?"

"How indeed ...?" she faltered.

"She is your daughter, don't you know?"

"Oh yes," she said. "Of course, that's the way it is."

I knew she had no idea at all who this woman was and she knew only vaguely who I might be.

The most powerful of gadgets, God's supreme creation, fails in the end.

 

Dear Sri,

Welcome to IL.This seems to be one of yr first few blogs and a really good one at that.

I too was introduced here by Sunkan, and i thank her a lot for it.

Well even i am allergic to all the gizmos of thje present age.I was given a new mobile by my brother and bhabhi this Diwali, and i did not want it, as the old one was workinmg perfectly, and i had to learn the functions of the new one once again, which i find a pain.

For m,e, old is gold.I use a thing till a point whre it stops working and is obselete and cannot be repaired at all,then i go and buy another new one.

When i have stuck with my better half for 30 years, and not changed the model, how do u expect me to change now.Big Laugh

good one, and i suspect OJ must have revived this one from the dusty past, he is a big fan of yours, as i am too.

Regards

kamal

 

Dear Cheeniya Sir

I also agree with Kamalji that this is a good blog. I think olden days people are the same everywhere. My husband also believes old is gold and does not go for any new gizmos. In our house just like us everything is old and valuable also. A mother always likes to make for her children by herself and give to them and they enjoy being with them and do anything for them. For her , her children are always like a child to them. They never think they have grown old.

Sir I am not able to put my feelings in words. Though I have so much to convey.

with regards
viji

 

Dear Cheeniya sir,

thanks to Oj da reviving this thread, I got to read this lovely post.
While my grandmother in her seventees lived with us, my mother used to assign her the job of kneading dough for rotis. She was good at that and would take her time doing it while recollecting some past events to share with us. I agree with you that the elderly have to be given some manageable tasks to make them feel wanted. But in the superfast days that we face, we need all these gizmos to minimize preparation time.

I just finished "New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle wherein he reasons why old is considered useless. Because in old age, the emphasis shifts from doing to Being, and our civilization which is lost in doing, knows nothing of Being.Your post reminded me of these lines.

I was moved reading Oj da's post. I loved Kamalji's post too.