Just then, I noticed the quartet of young novitiates and one not-so-young monk, looking at me rather quizzically. I smiled and waved to them. Without a moment’s hesitation, the sombre faces broke into broad, ear to ear smiles, at the exact moment that my camera viewfinder met my eye. I must have run off half a dozen frames before I lowered my instrument.

The youngest of the lot, looked at his mentor, said something in Tibetan, got a nod of approval, lightly skipped down several steps, and stopped before me. I smiled, wondering what he wanted. He extended his tightly balled fist towards me. It unclenched, and resting on his grubby palm were two, rather sorry looking pieces of candy. With a very serious face, he popped one into his mouth, and with outstretched palm, looked at me expectantly. With an equally poker face, I accepted the proffered gift with all the grace that the occasion merited. I stripped the slightly moist wrapper, popped the soggy candy into my mouth, and proceeded to suck it, with many slurping sounds of apparent relish.

My young benefactor’s face broke into a smile and his face lit up. Blissful. Radiant. With a final wave of goodbye, I entered the gates of the monastery, suddenly aware of a strange new spring in my step, and a catch in my throat. Making my way up the steps, I realized that little things really do count in life. One is tempted to dismiss them, but they are the seeds of daily joy that grow and enrich the gardens of our lives.

Don Alney is a freelance travel writer and photographer, seeking the ‘forever moment.’ Email don d at vsnl.com. Check out this stuff here

Delicate Arch is a secluded reminder of a long-gone geological epoch. It soars above the edge of a canyon, and stands framed against the stunning background of the La Sal range of mountains on one side, and against the deep blue sky on the other. It has become an iconic sign of the park as well as the close-by town of Moab. In fact, it has become a symbol of the entire Canyon country, and the state of Utah. Towering spires, pinnacles, and massive rocks precariously balanced on the brink of incredibly inadequate foundations, compete with the arches as stunning displays of nature’s idiosyncrasies.

Don Alney is a freelance travel writer and photographer, seeking the ‘forever moment.’ Email don d at vsnl.com.

So, how do we avoid becoming obsolete to our near and dear ones and to the society within which we live? Even more importantly, how do we avoid becoming strangers even to ourselves?

Here are a few ideas based on my own personal approach:

Beware of rather early retirement
If your motive is to grab double handfuls of leisure time, you could be heading for trouble, as leisure has different connotations for different people. If you’re hoping to take it easy with nothing to do, you may end up with boredom staring you in the eye.

Don’t stop working
It’s advisable for you to either continue working, or to opt for part-time employment doing something similar to what you already did.

Strike out into new areas
Even better, volunteer your time, teach other people, or passionately pursue things that you always wanted to do but never had the chance.

Stay fit, baby!
Ensure that you exercise. Whether it’s alone or in a group –there are fun aspects to working out. I love to walk in the morning. Maybe you could ride your bike or take a yoga class? Of course, exercise within your limits.

Stay connected
Keep a finger on the pulse of what is happening around you. Read and keep reading. However, if you’re not the type who enjoys reading, find others ways of remaining in the loop. TV, radio and the internet (my favorite) are superb sources for identifying fascinating subjects to fire your imagination. (Though I avoid TV, as it’s not a medium that challenges my mind.)

Keep a diverse set of friends
Instead of staying around people your own age exclusively, strike out into groups that involve younger people, too. Sharing interests is a great way to find new and different friends. Movies for example are a great way to bond with people of all ages.

Socialize regularly
Meet people of all ages to help you keep tabs on what is happening around you. It’ll also earn you the reputation of being ‘hip and with-it.’ Perhaps it might also assist younger folk from getting cut off from other, older age groups. Make friends with younger people, and get linked to current attitudes and ideas.

Don’t become known as an old fogey by finding fault with everything that youth loves and values. Show interest, even if you’re not. You could very possibly learn something valuable from your younger friends. You were in their shoes not that long ago!

Remember you’re living the best part now
Finally, remember that your age does give you a very different perspective of things: My life is now so much more relaxed without the worrisome hassles of rearing a family, or struggling to forge ahead professionally. Now, I watch my kid battling to carve out his own personal fiefdom. However, when he drops by at the close of a day to seek my advice, it’s an experience that is a gift. It’s a feeling of being valued and wanted. We smile as we raise our glasses in a silent, smiling, communicative toast.

I’m 71 but it seems to me that growing older is something that’s invariably unwelcome, regardless if you’re turning 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60. Somehow there is a sense that another major milestone has been passed, and “gosh we’re really getting old now.” Funny isn’t it, how things look depending on where you are? When you’re 30, 20 doesn’t seem old, in fact it seems young. Imagine the view from 80 or 90.

Since we’ve no choice but to age we need to find a way to greet and accept our passing years with grace and a positive attitude. Growing older isn’t as as traumatic as people imagine. And as hard as it may be to believe, but relevance is one of the keys to aging well.

As we get older, we realize that the jostling, single-minded pursuits and the make-or-break scuffles of life don’t matter. Eventually, we all recognize that its the simple things that matter most. Love, family, and doing things that make us happy. This is what I have come to understand – that the simple choices are the ones that leaves the deepest marks.

In his book, Prime Time: How Baby Boomers Will Revolutionize Retirement and Transform America, Marc Freedman spells out his perception of a huge, aging generation engaging in social activism, volunteer activities, and lifelong learning. He feels “The boomers will not accept the old notions of later life, and retirement. They will refuse to remove themselves, go away, or put up with being taken ‘out of use or circulation.’ “

In the spirit of staying in circulation, being relevant is key. To determine whether you’re still relevant in changing times, here are some simple questions to ask yourself
Is there a social or familial need I can satisfy?
Is my thinking in tune with the times?
Do I still possess the ability to anticipate situations?
Is my thinking reasonably dynamic and socially acceptable?
Do I have things that I am still passionate about and keep my mind occupied?
Are I staying in touch with things as they’re changing?
If yes, we can certainly assert, “I ain’t done yet!”

I’ve learned that my open mind, my ability to laugh and to take risks (even when I’m scared out of my wits), and remembering that love and passion can always fuel me — no matter what — help keep me relevant. Being older is really no different. My body may not agree – but the heart and mind are ultimately where we’re either youngsters or old, irrelevant cows alone in a pasture. I’ll take the first.

In the words of Bob Dylan, “May you stay forever young. Forever young. Forever young. May you stay forever young. May you grow up to be righteous, may you grow up to be true. May you always see the light surrounding you”. Check out the video – I think you’ll love it!

Peerless and irresistible, the fortress-city of Jaisalmer towers tall and proud, in lonely grandeur. To me it is reminiscent of a many splendored phoenix, arising from the burning sands of the Thar Desert, and ready to soar into the pale blue of the desert sky.

Jaisalmer possesses some of Rajasthan’s most exotic yellow stone mansions, most of which are situated along a lane which, seen in the early morning sunlight, seems carved out of burnished gold. Built during the 18th and 19th centuries, the delicate latticed windows and skilfully carved walls, the superb stone carvings and the architectural magnificence of these havelis,are the siren songs that have lured countless tourists to Jaisalmer. Of its many lovely mansions, there are three, which are sheer poetry, in stone. However, the indisputable piece de resistance is the celebrated Patwon-ki-Haveli. The beauty and the grandeur of these mansions narrate a saga of hard sandstone yielding to the chisels of skilled sculptors, brought all the way from Jodhpur. The magnificent buildings soar five storeys in their ochre-gold splendour. Their graceful pillars, remarkably designed corridors, elegant chambers, delicate latticework windows and breathtakingly carven balconies make Jaisalmer a thing of beauty, — and a joy forever.

- Don Alney

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Click an image below to see screen shots of the article.