Dignity Dialogue, September 2021

In Defence of Spontaneity

Does everything have to happen like well-oiled machinery? Does one really

need to stick to a definite routine? Raj S. Rangarajan doesn’t think so and

here is his argument.

Fisherman-hobbyist Billy Rey

my corner

Many books have been written about how advanced planning helps.

Many management gurus have waxed eloquently about how managing time productively helps people lead more meaningful lives. And, there are CEOs who who swear that planning ahead is the ultimate panacea for corporate success. How many of these management practitioners take the time to smell the roses or do anything on a whim? Why is doing things on a whim not acceptable? Why should everything be politically correct? Have you thought of popcorn for breakfast? 

And, I am not saying this for the sake of being contrarian. 

And this is so especially if one is a senior – more so when the senior’s responsibilities and obligations are only to oneself. More and more seniors these days live alone. Yes, more often than not, children and grandchildren are part of the mix. Why cannot seniors be spontaneous? I know some are. Is it because we are fearful of being labelled a freak by our near and dear? Or, is it because society and our neighbours mandate it?

Do something different every day. It keeps your juices flowing. Talking of seniors, a year after my wife passed away – on a whim I decided to surprise my 95-year-old father-in-law. Without informing anyone – not even his other daughter with whom he was residing in Carmel, Indiana – I took the three-hour flight from Newark to meet them. While I am not a great fan of surprising people, the ‘surprise element’ for this nonagenarian was priceless! It was my spontaneous decision, and at his age every moment was worth the effort and money. It was coincidental that both of us relished the same celebrated malts of Scotland!

Here’s another instance of being spontaneous: I normally walk around the lake in my North Hudson neighbourhood. The other day, I spotted a man with a bunch of hi-tech fishing rods and I was curious in view of his elaborate gear. I started off with small talk and soon fisherman-hobbyist Billy Rey was eager to converse. He spoke passionately about the different kinds of fish life – catfish, largemouth bass, rainbow trout and crabs – that this placid lake spawned. An avid aficionado, Billy has been fishing since he was six, and of late, after reeling them in, he has been freeing them back into the water. 

Continuing with the walking analogy, as a senior how often do you take a different fork in the road instead of following the trodden path? As creatures of habit, we are comfortable with the familiar, with greeting the same old friends, and cracking the same old jokes.

In his recently published, elaborately researched book, ‘Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age’, Dr.

Sanjay Gupta, MD, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, says, “Try something different every now and then; try not to power up your computer first thing in the morning; try not to multitask; try not to respond to emails immediately, however strong the urge.” A strong proponent of both aerobic and non-aerobic exercises, Dr. Gupta prescribes that seniors should be constantly active. His five pillars for brain health are ‘move, discover, relax, nourish and connect’.Even as a younger person, I have always been a proponent of Plan B. For me Plan A does not exist. Thus everything I do is a surprise, and I enjoy it. And, I do not disturb or disrupt anyone’s peace of mind within the family, since I am single. 

Here is another personal example of spontaneity: my brother worked for the German airline Lufthansa for 40 years. Thanks to his charity and benign graces, I could avail of many discounted flights whenever I flew internationally. Being a discounted ticket I would be allowed to board the aircraft only if a spare seat was available, which was most of the time. Perhaps only twice in 25 years I was denied a seat. But the interesting point is that because obtaining a seat was always iffy and tentative, I learnt the art of being patient. Don’t we all constantly wait as patients? I adapted my expectations and became a Plan B personality.

So my spontaneity principle: never worry or stress about getting a seat on a flight, take things easy, don’t panic! If I miss the flight, tomorrow is another day, another flight! So, this habit of not getting flustered, taught me two valuable lessons: Take one day at a time! Don’t plan too much.

Management pundits constantly profess that planning everything in advance is the only way to be in control. In my opinion, advance planning is overrated. 

Seniors, learn to relax, let your guard down once in a while. Your grandchildren will appreciate you – perhaps not your children. Admittedly, not all seniors can be spontaneous. Some may need physical help in accomplishing things. Not all seniors know how to relax, how to let their hair down. In conclusion, haven’t we all heard of Scotsman Robert Burns’ line about “best laid plans of men and mice that could go awry!” 

Dignity Dialogue | September 2021 

The View – Tower West – August 2021

Fiction or Fact, which is it? - by Raj S. Rangarajan

How much of what we read should we believe? How much of what we read is really true? Is there empirical evidence or factual confirmation that what we read is true? How do we know if something is fake?

 

These are some of the questions rational readers should be ask-ing these days, specially because of the amount of misinfor-mation, disinformation and mal-information being propagated in social media and in the guise of “news.” 

In some parts of the world, unchecked data are being spread in the name of Covid-19. They are seen particularly now in view of the Covid-19 Delta variant and the recently-named Lambda Covid-19 variant. All this tends to disturb one’s sense of well-being. 

According to the Council of Europe’s Information Disorder Report and further elaborated on by management consultant, Mike Kujawski (Centre of Excellence for Public Sector Marketing), Mis-information is information that is false, but not necessarily created to harm, such as someone mistakenly posting material out of date. Dis-information is information that is patently false and deliberately created to harm a person, a group, or say, a business. Mal-information could be information based on nuanced reality intended to create harm or hatred often seen in political or agenda-driven scenarios domestically or internationally. 

Al Tompkins, Senior broadcast journalist at Mediawise, a nonprofit, digital initiative, teaches us how to sort out fact from fiction. “Always ask: Who’s behind the information?, Why are they telling me this?, Who paid for this?” 

Unfortunately, we are inundated with sites that revel in misleading us. As unwitting members of the digital community, it is imperative that we ferret out fact from fiction, check what is trustworthy and what is not. Alex Mahadevan, senior multimedia reporter at Mediawise, cautions: “the pitfalls of sharing misinformation could be detrimental if one is not watchful”. 

Be skeptical, but don’t be cynical 

With social media such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, TikTok and others becoming primary vehicles of communication for many, we have to be particularly aware. We should be concerned about what is uploaded and disseminated 

While some of the forwards from YouTube or WhatsApp are perhaps humorous, we’ve to be alert and not let down our guard. We hear of folks signing up for websites without realizing that they have been duped. Often, there is no recourse! 

At times, someone in the family or perhaps a friend alerts you to a juicy story on the daily news or on social media. The item appears so believable, but is it true? How many of us really have the time, the inclination or the resources to investigate a story? 

Some indulge in the vicarious pleasure of being the first to inform others – of an outrageous rumor or a story; but without confirming that it is a reliable source, thus unconsciously spreading dubious information or images or gossip that is untrue. 

It is a given that today school kids and teens are savvier than seniors. It is normal these days for younger folk to help out technologically. Whether we have adults and kids in the same household or not, we have to be particularly vigilant because of the incredible amount of bizarre and wild stories that populate our airwaves. 

It behooves us to examine if a particular news item is true. We also bear the added responsibility and perhaps even an obligation to ensure that wrong information is not passed on to the gullible. 

Hence some cautionary notes: Investigate the source of the information: Why was it being sent? Do you know the sender? Even if a friend or a relative or a friend’s friend, be alert! One never knows. Better to be safe than sorry! 

In the U.S., we now have a whole bunch of fact-checking sites that are exclusively devoted to debunking false information. Here are some resources for ready reference: https://www.poynter.org; https://www.politifact.com; https:// www.snopes.com; https://spotfakenews.info.