Like most self-help books, Golden years Comes with an impressive subtitle – The many pleasures of living a good long life. However, in this case, the author is speaking from a wealth of experience. Almost 89 years of experience to be precise.
The slim volume, which was released by publisher HarperCollins on May 19 to mark his 89th birthday, is for readers who like ruskin bond, is over 60 years of age, and is eager to taste life. “As I’m quite a happy person by nature, I thought maybe I could encourage others to be more positive about aging. Of course, if you enjoy your work, you don’t have to retire.” Would like to. I take life one day at a time. Now it’s one story at a time. That’s why I keep writing and reading a lot,” he says while discussing the book
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Ruskin Bond launches his latest book Golden years, with advice for writers: ‘If you’ve reached the pinnacle of your writing career, why stop? And if you haven’t achieved what you set out for, why give up?’
The wisdom may resonate with those who trap and pin words to the page for a living; But how does a creator find the will to keep going in an era that has welcomed chatbots with artificial intelligence?
“It’s true. Only two days ago, I was invited to a seminar on Artificial Intelligence, and there were two or three people who gave lectures that were difficult for me to follow. When it was my turn to speak, I said, ‘I’m sorry but I have to rely on my natural and common sense to survive in this world.’ But a robot could have helped me with my questions in school, and I probably would have become a mathematical genius,” he laughs over the phone from his home in Landour, near Mussoorie in Uttarakhand.
Having long given up typing due to shoulder and neck pain, Bond writes his manuscripts by hand. “My handwriting is pretty decent; My publishers don’t object. I enjoy writing by hand with colored ballpoint pens, because it’s more personal in a way.”
a bit of history
Bond maintains his light-hearted style of conveying profound ideas in his book. With 60 chapters, some no more than a page or two long, Golden years Can be read in one sitting. Some chapters seem to have similar themes ( joy of walking And the lonely times For example), but when re-read at a more leisurely pace, they have a charm of their own.
in chapter a bit of historyBond reminisces about attending Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation parade as a spectator in 1952 and watching it on black-and-white television in London.
How did he feel about the coronation of King Charles a few weeks earlier? “Certainly it looked more impressive on color TV, although then and now it was raining in London,” says Bond.
He says, one does not always need to create history. “Quit India Movement happened, World War II was on, independence and partition came to the subcontinent and Gandhiji was assassinated, within eight years when I was in boarding school in Shimla, from 1942 to 1950. Although I did not see all that was happening, it was happening only around one.”
descriptive power
Bond’s keen sense of observation is best seen in the chapters on the flora and fauna of his hometown. Her cat Mimi, who like her, ‘has the laziness of a wise man (or cat) who just wants to sit back for a bit and watch the world go by,’ shares the space with cheeky monkeys, crows and nightingales .
Off the pages, he says, there’s a civil war going on under Bond’s bed. “Mimi, who is eight years old, is annoyed with the young male cat that one of my grandchildren has brought to keep her company. She keeps trying to get him out of the house. And last night I couldn’t sleep because they were fighting under my bed, making terrible noises. I have to find a way to stop this war from continuing. So it is not only humans who fight with each other.
maidenhair talks poignantly about Fern that Susheela, a girl he loved 50 years ago, asked him to preserve, as does favorite tree, who remembers them sharing kisses with lips smeared with the juice of sweet and sour berries. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her. She must be a grandmother by now,” thinks Bond. “I’ve been really lucky, I’ve had a very loving family. Beena and Rakesh take great care of me. And because of them, many of my children are doing different things.
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Ruskin Bond hopes his book will appeal to readers of all ages. “One day, if a boy or girl is lucky, they are going to be old, so they should think about it instead of being negative about it. Old age is a good time to reflect; To adjust with and accept the world around us, ”he concluded.
Bond admits to savoring sweets with childlike glee Golden years. Lollipops, ice cream and ‘mouth-watering jalebis all dipped in golden syrup,’ are some of their favourites. “Yeah, that’s true and I have a good stomach too,” he laughed. “People have been kind enough to send me cakes on my birthday, but it would be dangerous for me to eat them all. Better to leave them to children my age.
The Golden Years – The Many Pleasures of Living a Good Long Life by Ruskin Bond; ₹399; HarperCollins Publishers India