Old is gold, let us not neglect it - Essay Example

1 Old is gold, let us not neglect it! One day, I have decided to quit my non-paid voluntary job for the better but something made me change that decision. I took up a non paid voluntary job two years ago on behalf of an NGO to work at its offices at Richmond, VA to serve a group of old people. The office was located in an area where people of Telugu community of Indian origin constituted majority. I was attached to an old Telugu couple and my responsibilities included taking them to a nearby Hindu temple in the morning hours daily, serving them food of their taste in time, and taking care of their medical needs.

Gradually, I developed an attachment with them. The affection between the old couple and me was such that I was off and on discussing their matters with my wife during night times. Indians worldwide normally celebrate their Diwali festival (festival of lights) with unlimited enthusiasm and on one such occasion, my wife and I spent our day with them on their request. "Don't feel shy, have a satisfied lunch," said the old woman to my wife when we together addressed the dining table. Her husband spoke his mind with a silent smile, "we proudly consider you as our children.

One day I will take you to my hometown in India .It is a beautiful place." All of a sudden, I was overcome with a feeling of new affections entering my life. 'From here afterwards, this must be my world,' my inner self silently but unknowingly declared. Then, the discussion extended to this and that over lunch. When we got up for washing, it was clear that the old couple were neglected by their son who stayed in the same city with his wife. 2My wife sat with the old lady in the main hall while we settled down on a sofa in the drawing room.

I shot a casual question to the old man, "shall I request your son to take care of you" My enquiry made him furious but the very next moment, his face turned as gloomy and pale as the waning Moon. "No," he said curtly. I apologized but he said instantly, "No. You said nothing to feel about. But he is not like you. He humiliated me, insulted me and treated me like a blade of grass." Tears rolled down his eyes in a cascade while he continued, "We gave him birth, brought him up, made him an engineer and married him to a beautiful girl.

We came over here as he is our only son," he stopped for a while, removed his glasses and wiped out his tears. I thought I made a mistake in rousing his sentiments and emotions. But he continued in full flow wearing his glasses again, "In the beginning, his wife was good and treated us respectably. A vertical change in her attitude took place when her parents arrived and my son danced to her tunes in each and every thing. It forced us to opt out and stay in this NGO home. Obviously, her heart was not as beautiful as her body is".

His speech was like a lesson to me. I instantly gave up my idea of quitting the voluntary job. He was so emotional that his slow outburst spurred my inner sentiments enabling me to resolve to continue to work for the aged throughout my life. After all, old is gold and old people are as precious as the yellow metal. They are a mine of information. Will I not turn old one day Can we afford to ignore them today 3Works cited: Festival of lights, Society for the confluence of festivals in India.

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