When I was in my early 20’s, closer to the time I moved from my small town to the bustling capital of New Delhi, I realised I wanted to grow old.
Around the time I reached adulthood, I wanted to blow my candles quick!
I wanted to be in my 40’s.
20 years back, I didn’t see youth as a privilege. I saw it as a grind. I was hustling. I wanted that hustle that move to the next stage where I didn’t have to prove myself.
I had seen my college seniors and then older colleagues at work, many of them women who seemed more in control of their lives, their minds and their presence.
I wanted that poise. That confidence to be myself in my skin. To be a contributor. To have a mind of her own. To be heard. To be available for someone younger. To be a support to another woman or even a man in work or in life. To be something. To be someone!
Now, in my 40’s, I’m also grateful for the youth that didn’t create a mirage of my own worth. I wasn’t trapped in my love for my youth. I love ageing. I love my greys, my wrinkles and everything else.
I came late to the fitness party. And that’s the only small niggle I carry. Maybe I could have started a decade earlier. But then, when I look at my own story…of someone struggling to win against time, find purpose and push my own boundaries, my mental fitness was my primary priority.
As workplaces grow and swell, it’s important to have these conversations. I can imagine insecurities, doubts and ideas of longevity can step into the best of us. As workforces change, let’s look at what do we mean by ‘prime’.
Let’s talk about ageism. Wisdom. Experience.
Let’s talk about how can we create inter-generational conversations at home, at work and everywhere else!
Our stories are a work in progress. How we see it is more important than how we tell it.
Good Morning!
#Storytelling #StorytellingWithRituparna
Growing older is a privilege. Enjoy it. Celebrate it. We’re not “past our prime.” With decades of experience and knowledge, this is our PRIME!
