Life After 60

I was trying to be polite to the online salesman. "It's not what I..I.. ordered," I stuttered in agitation. "But Sir, it's the best brand, very long-lasting and very comfortable," he said in a persuasive voice. "That's not it, it's, it's ....," I tried to interject. "We can send you another one, should you want one," he said pushing his point. "Another one...?" I asked, not liking where this was leading to. "Yes Sir, or a couple or even a dozen," he said persuasively. "A dozen...? " I howl. "You could even order two dozen Sir," he said smoothly. "What would I do with two dozen! .....Two dozen,  for god's sake!," I shriek. "Laying in a nest egg Sir, for the future, Sir," he said. "Are you a banker," I ask confused. "No Sir." "Then why are you speaking of investing?" I ask. "I was merely speaking metap...

I wonder if the Lockness monster ever gets lonely. You find it prowling the deep keeping all to itself. At the depths that it swims around in, it can hardly have an active social life. Few creatures would take a deep breath and go down contentedly into the murky depths. Life can also be like that. There may be hundreds of creatures swimming around in the pool that is everyday life, but some find themselves always alone. Early in life I found that I lacked the joie de vivre when others were around. I would rather curl up with a story book. Playing football or such energetic games were I found not my cup of tea. I did like playing hide and seek, but those days when I enjoyed it were all too short. Since I disliked the rough and tumble of life, I grew a shell like a mollusc. Gastropods, I believe they call them.  But what it is in a name, I thought as the exterior hardened. School life, with a principal with bulging eyes and a swift cane that he employed in keepin...

There was a time when I waited for Sunday. After a week of work, and I worked hard, a day of rest  was very welcome. I loved to sleep.  I am not an atheist, and I go to church maybe once a year for  midnight mass on Christmas eve. So I'm not a churchgoer basically. Therefore Sundays did not mean  that I was seated in the pews in church listening to the pastor's sermon.  The pastor, in fact,  would not recognise me until my sister, who goes more often to church, introduced me as her brother  after Christmas Eve mass. I also had a problem sleeping and would lie awake at nights trying desperately trying to fall asleep. I tried counting sheep and it never worked. I also tried those sleeping videos on YouTube. I listened  \ and felt bored. They were not music I was familiar with and they kept my eyelids firmly apart. Even a safe  tranquillizer that my doctor prescribed did not have any effect. The on...