Tuesday 26 July 2011

Old Ain't Gold No More!

The content of this blog post may be a bit controversial and it would be easy for me to put up a disclaimer, say I don’t mean to offend anyone with my words. But I don’t want to put up one, because somebody is going to get offended by this. It is unfortunate that they will but I have a strong conviction that what I am saying is real and I can’t tag any disclaimer to reality!
It really bugs me the way old folks nowadays are ragging on young people for being disrespectful. Talking of the way today’s generation bears rotten morals especially when it comes to respect. But my encounter with this ‘new generation of old folks’ tells me something else about respect and how much they don’t deserve it.
I believe respect is not aged….it is earned. It is earned from the kind of character that you carry yourself with and how much you respect your own self. Though there is a lot you can learn from the older generation, the scales tips on either sides for both the good and the bad stuff. Many people live reckless lives making foolish mistakes and still bark for respect even when they are not worth it, just because of their age.


My bone of contention rests particularly with an incident that recently occurred in a public service vehicle. So this not so old guy boards the bus I was in, he was looking very respectable, around forty something, wearing a suit in face and looking like he had just left the office for home. The bus conductor starts asking for fare and everybody dips into there pockets to pay accordingly. But this particular old guy refuses to pay the fare! The young conductor politely asks the old guy to pay up like every body else…. This is where it really gets my guns……..the old guy tells the conductor that he is old enough to be his dad and he shouldn’t be made to pay the fare!!!! Then he starts tying to drum up support from the rest of the passenger about how the conductor is shamelessly asking him for fare yet he is old. Calling him disrespectful and all. And the whole time am thinking ‘using your age to get a free ride in a bus’?! If it was my dad, he would want my business to do well and he would support me in any way, including paying the fare!
I have a whole load of stories about how old people use their age to try and solicit favors like it is some handicap to sell themselves on. Age definitely deserves recognition, and I would give a thumbs up for anybody who has managed to live way longer than me. It is a hell of a world out there and every body is trying to make something out of it without some old person trying to suck your for every thing you’ve got just because they are old.
I give respect to those who deserve it, I give help to those who are helpless, and I speak for those who have lost their voice. There are truly old people who actually deserve the special treatment. Just because some few strands of hair turned grey doesn’t mean you can go around demanding for what you don’t deserve. Respect is a two way traffic.

Monday 25 July 2011

IS FAT REALLY FIERCE?


So this is my first blog post and am thinking isn’t it wierd that some stranger out there is going to be reading my thoughts and silently judging me or somebody is going to be riding on my every word. But there is somewhat comfort in knowing that I can express myself and reach out to somebody somewhere. So much for an intro!
So the other day I recently joined the gym and this was met by protests from my friends, trying to convince me that I look fine and I don’t need the gym. My thought of the gym is a place to keep fit and keep active though most people’s misconception is that people go the gym to loose weight. I might say am a bit soft around the middle but when I signed up for the gym, I was more concerned about my health in terms of realistic fitness. I want to have strong bones; good lungs, good circulation and I want to age gracefully.
I have a big issue with the way people nowadays perceive weight, especially with reference to overweight people.  Tyra says own your look, Oprah says don’t let anybody put you down cause of your looks. But I think people have lost the true meaning of these phrases and ran with it and allowed themselves to be unhealthy under the pretence of ‘owning their look’.
There is nothing glamorous about being fat or overweight. And I am not just saying this to pick on people with a little extra weight here and there. I am talking about your insides and not your outsides. Having fat clogged veins and sky rocketing blood pressure and blood sugar levels has nothing glamorous about it. Not being able to turn your own shoelaces without feeling like all the blood is rushing to your face or walking uphill without running out of breath is very unpretty. Adorning your outsides with designer clothing that flatter your curves or hips should not be a substitute for the terrible degradation that is going on in your insides.
I am not saying its bad to be curvy or cuddly, but it’s important to look after your health. Attaining beauty from inside to the outside. Next time before you snap your fingers and call fat-> fierce, think about your heath and the quality of life you want to live……………. In or out of the emergency room.