My article published in the Open page The Hindu (Web page) Feb, 4th , 2018
Why books are the best to keep you company through thick and thin
When we retire from our jobs, which sometimes
span a period of three decades and more, and also pull back from the
responsibilities of managing a family, we get freedom from the roller-coaster
of a life. Days pass by without tensions and we do enjoy the leisure and slow
pace of our new life for some time. But soon this type of life brings worries
to many seniors as they find it difficult to cope with too much time at their
disposal without any productive agenda. The 24-hour emptiness stares at and
scares them. This is especially so for those elders facing the empty-nest
syndrome owing to children’s migration to far off places or loss of spouses or
exercising the option of living alone for the sake of independence and privacy;
they are often unable to cope with the twin problems of idleness and
loneliness.
According to a study published in the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, both social isolation and loneliness are
associated with a higher risk of mortality in adults aged 52 and older. One
possible explanation: "People who live alone or lack social contacts may
be at increased risk of death if acute symptoms develop, because there is less
of a network of confidantes to prompt medical attention." Efforts to
reduce isolation are the key to addressing the issue of mortality, said the
study’s authors. John Cacioppo, a neuroscientist and psychologist at the
University of Chicago, has been studying social isolation for 30 years. One
frightening finding is that feelings of loneliness are linked to poor cognitive
performance and quicker cognitive decline. We "evolved to be a social
species, says Dr. Cacioppo. "It’s hard-wired into our brains, and when we
don’t meet that need, it can have physical and neurological effects."
Many educated seniors are aware of these warnings
and hence they think of various options to engage themselves productively and
age gracefully, such as taking up a second career, undertaking community work
or becoming a member of a few associations engaged in religious or cultural or
community service. Or they start pursuing hobbies such as gardening, reading,
writing, photography and so on for which they never had time during their
earlier years. Women become members of some clubs, visit relatives and friends
or temples often, help others through baby-sitting or giving tuitions to
school-going children in the neighbourhood. But all these activities require
spending scheduled time slots, expending energy and travelling. For those who
do not want a strict schedule, the best options are television-viewing,
listening to music, reading and writing.
Among them most of the seniors, especially the
super-seniors, prefer reading for several of its advantages. Mainly, they are
saved from commuting just to have human contacts. There are knowledge-giving
books on a variety of subjects, magazines for light reading, comedy books,
romantic novels, investigative journals, biographies, newspapers and so on. We
don’t even have to own them. Circulating and lending libraries with door
delivery facility take care of our tastes and preferences in the choice of
books and supply our needs on a regular basis. Depending on our mood we can
choose a particular book to read. It may be knowledge-seeking books in the day
time and humorous and light novels in the night. Depending on the availability
of time we can engage ourselves with books for any number of hours. Newspapers
are sources of knowledge on happenings in the world, the nation and our own
locality.
As a consequence of the reading habit, a reader has
several stories to share, making him/her an interesting person and a great
conversationalist. Your vocabulary expands manifold. The knowledge gained
through this habit helps you to command respect in any gathering. Reading
fiction often puts you in different places and situations, making you
empathetic, because you gain a better understanding of people and the world.
Generally the younger generation is not
interested in spending quality time with elders at home and the seniors are
depressed over this. But books, magazines and newspapers come to the rescue of
the elders during times of isolation from family members. On lonely days,
reading gives you solace and acts like a best friend since they never are bored
or irritated or make us feel that your company is unwanted intrusion.
Another advantage is that they can be in any
convenient posture while reading them. They can carry them wherever they go if
the books are downloaded in the various pocket-size gadgets they use. At the
beach or in a park or resort or a hillside after enjoying nature for some time,
we can settle down in a quiet corner with books, only absolute peace and
tranquility around us. They are handy during long air or train trips.
E-books and online archives make finding books of
your choice easy. Add to that, the affordability of these resources. Thanks to
technology, reading has even become an inexpensive hobby. Books
give us the best companionship since they are silent partners, never grudge
offering their companionship for any number of hours. They keep company during
sleepless nights and act as therapists when you’re mentally down. Living-alone
seniors can retire to bed with a book or a magazine without bothering about the
need for any human companions.
