We, the Senior Citizens, served in the Government or Corporate Offices for nearly 35 to 40 years. But after sweating it out for about 3 to 4 decades, can we say that we are enjoying our retired lives? Most of us are rich in assets, rich in funds but sadly we are poor in lifestyle, displaying our psychological inability to spend probably as we grew up in an India of scarcity.
We can recollect the good old days when we walked to the bus stop in order to save on the rickshaw fares. Some of us wore shirts, pants and even socks until they tore. We sacrificed our vacations for our children’s sake, to pay for their coaching classes and more often than not, even for their grand weddings too. Today we own our homes and have our retirement benefit funds safely tucked in Banks. We can safely say that we are financially independent. But sadly at times we would prefer to drench ourselves in sweat rather than switch on the AC because we feel we are needlessly wasting electricity .For our entire period of service, our brains were accustomed to “save” for the future and savings wasn’t just a habit, but a necessity for survival.
Having happily retired, we were expected to switch from “save” to “spend”. But it isn’t that simple as in spite of having surplus money in hand, spending it triggers guilt or mental pain. It literally generates a feeling that we are cutting down the very tree we spent a lifetime in nurturing. Many of us spend only the Bank interest earned on the Fixed Deposits whereas touching the principal amount feels almost like a sin. Despite having fat balances in the accounts, we often delay medical requirements like surgeries for as long as possible because we feel the cost is very high. Even at this age, we prefer to travel by train sleeper class ticket and avoid AC or air flight and for that our justifications are ever ready. We live with extreme simplicity so that our children, who might be already settled, might secure a sizeable inheritance.
We also have a fear that we may live for many more years and in that case we might not have enough money to cover the hospital bills. In preparing for the worst case scenario, we obviously sacrifice our best remaining years and the final result is an unlived life. The funniest part is that we sacrificed immediate joy for the future but when that future finally arrived, lacked the capacity to enjoy it. What we ultimately leave behind is a substantial Bank balance, gold and jewellery locked away in lockers and maybe a big bungalow we chose to rent out rather than enjoy ourselves. Sadly what travels with us on our final journey are the simple joys we refused to buy for ourselves, the trips we kept postponing and the generosity and acts of kindness we could have offered but held back.
In reality all that remains is only Regret.You have spent a lifetime accumulating wealth and money. Convert it into joy, comfort, shared experiences and helping others. Spend on yourself and stop suppressing your desires. Enjoy the fruits of your own hard work because you have earned it!!!
Until we meet again, take care and be safe…..
Felix Dias