I stood face to face with Ruskin Bond. He had his
characteristic genial smile on his face. My face must have revealed a helpless
inhibition which held me back from going to him and the simultaneous desire to
go to him and say a Hi at least. I would have loved to have a conversation with
him, however brief.
That was in 2003. I had taken a
student of mine from school for an award ceremony organised by ITC at the ITC
Hotel in Mumbai. My student was one of the 15 prize-winners of a short story
competition conducted by ITC and their newly launched brand of student-oriented
products named Classmate. The awards were being presented by Ruskin Bond
who would also release the story anthology.
My student who won the award was a
fan of Ruskin Bond. But he did not seem the least interested in meeting his
favourite writer personally and getting an autograph. He was with the other
prize-winners who were all imprinting autographs on one another’s white
T-shirts presented to them by ITC and which they were wearing then. They had
been together nearly two days during which span of time they seemed to have
become very intimate with each other. Ruskin Bond was watching the young
students with visible amusement. I was watching him with some longing in my
heart.
Bond was 69 years old then. I was 43.
His face bore the tranquillity of a mature sexagenarian. Mine must have
revealed the trepidations of an adolescent who failed to grow up. I averted my
gaze when Bond took notice of me. He must have wondered why I was staring at
him. Soon the organisers of the programme arrived on the scene and the dinner
started.
Today, as a sexagenarian, I do feel a regret as I recall this incident. Why did I remember it now? I’m reading Bond’s book, The Golden Years: The Many Joys of Living a Good Long Life (HarperCollins India, 2023). A very simple book written when Bond was 89 years old. He is a nonagenarian now. And still writing.
Right in the first chapter of the
book, Bond wonders why writers should retire at all. Age gives people more maturity
if not more wisdom. Moreover, “there is a certain joy in writing,” Bond says, “in
putting words down on paper and creating a story or a poem or a novel or even a
memoir; and if no one else enjoys what you have composed, never mind, you have
done it for yourself and your own pleasure.”
I liked that. Because I have decided to go on writing as long as I can. It doesn’t matter how many read what I write. As of now, I have a good readership and I’m thrilled about that. Here’s a screenshot of the latest stats of this blog. [A pat on my own back]
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| Screenshot at 9.30 pm on 2 July 2024 |
Bond goes on to say that the human brain
is at its most fertile in our later years because years of experience nurtures
such fertility. He cites examples of eminent writers who were highly active in
their old age. “Well into her eighties Agatha Christie was inventing crimes for
her detective Hercule Poirot… P G Wodehouse, when ninety, was still regaling us
with the exploits of Bertie Wooster and his butler Jeeves…” Bond also mentions
Bernard Shaw, Somerset Maugham, R K Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand and Khushwant
Singh. Nayantara Sehgal is still writing at ninety-six, he concludes the list. Sehgal
is now 97 and still writing, I guess.
We grew up in a troubled world, Bond
says, and we are still living in a troubled world. It will always be so because
humans are troublesome by nature. If you have survived your sixties, it means
you know how to live with all those troubles. Why not tell the world how you
managed all that? I think that’s a good argument.
I’m not very sure whether I have
really learnt how to survive all those troubles. I am still a debilitated
individual, 64 years old, highly inhibited, incapable of standing face to face
with any adult, let alone Ruskin Bond. I stake no claim to any sort of wisdom.
If I have survived beyond sixty, it’s a mystery, not because of any skill of
mine for sure. But I may go on like this because I usually deal with youngsters
who haven’t acquired the malice of the adults yet.
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteTo my shame, I have never read anything from RB... will have to add that to my bucket list... YAM xx
This is quite a simple book about old age. The simplicity is a charm, of course, particularly because of the underlying practical wisdom.
DeleteOne should write as long as one gets something out of the writing. He's right about the experience old age gives people. Do the young want to hear it? Maybe not. But writing is something anyone can do, so why not? And, of course you should write what you want for as long as you want. As long as you continue to enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteLove his writing. He fills my Kindle to keep me entertained! A few paperbacks too. Hope to meet up with him some day! 🤞
ReplyDeleteI want to meet him. I hope I will be able to soon. A great author... simplicity in his life as well as writing.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Ruskin Bond is equal to simplicity.
DeleteRuskin Bond is such an amazing writer. His simple and beautiful style of writing has some magic.
ReplyDeleteThat simplicity is the magic, I think.
DeleteYes, being with youngsters makes one feel young. When I was working I was a part of a group of youngsters. They never treated me as an old, experienced aunt agony though they often poured their hearts out to me. Perhaps I am a good listener and not a babbler. I can strike up a conversation with any and everyone if they are not too snooty and conscious of their moneyed status. I am a Bond fan too. And I have also decided to go on writing whatever I feel like till I can no matter who reads me or likes my writing. On second thought you should have said hullo to him though am like you. I can never say to anyone, "Hullo sir! Am your big fan "
ReplyDelete