Aging at Marmala Waterfall

 

Marmala Waterfall
Pic by Noel Joseph

Audrey Hepburn thought that a woman would grow more beautiful with age because “the beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole but … is reflected in her soul.” The caring nature is the real beauty of women, she said, and that quality only gets better as a woman ages. Passion is another aspect that makes women beautiful and age doesn’t affect that too, according to Hepburn.

Marmala landscape
Pic by Navya Joseph

As I visited the Marmala Waterfalls in central Kerala along with a few family members this Sunday, I became acutely aware of my vanishing passions. The place had a unique charm, a pristine beauty, because it has not yet been ravaged by massive tourism. The waterfall lies tucked away in the hills which are not easily accessible. There is a very narrow road leading to it from Theekoy in Kottayam district. If another vehicle comes from the opposite direction you will need great manoeuvring skills of driving. It prompted my nephew, Noel, to remark innocently that a small car like mine (Maruti Alto 800) has its advantages on a trip like this. It was his remark that made me realise that I was not a bad driver after all. It then led me to the thought why I had become so listless even on a trip like this which would have filled me with ecstasy until a few years ago.

Noel and Navya with their parents

Hepburn was speaking about women. I am more inclined to go with Bernard Shaw who said that “You don’t stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing.” Why did life steal my smiles, let alone laughs?

I put aside that thought and enjoyed the trip as best as I could. I did make an effort to smile.

It doesn’t usually take two days for me to write a post about a trip I made. In spite of the fact that I enjoyed the trip, this post was delayed. Even now I had to force myself to write this. Something is changing in the new year. I’m yet to figure out what.

Real classes began at school for class 12 and I was happy to be back in a real classroom. But the masks on the faces of the students and their total indifference put me off again. I hope the 17-year-old students will overcome their inertia and bubble with at least as much energy I possess at the age of 60.

The way to the waterfall
Pic by Noel

I’m becoming hyper-conscious of my age, it looks like. It reminds me of Jules Renard’s words: “It’s not how old you are, it’s how you are old.” I hope Marmala’s gentle gurgles and tickling landscapes will refresh me in this new year. I don’t want to be old yet.