A perspective of an old man in a society

Something struck my mind today. While I was waiting for bus on the way to the City Flinder Campus this morning, I met with a local old man. I noticed he looked at me from far and when reaching closer to him I felt bound to say hi to him asking how's he doing. I found that is the norm here. Even bus drivers and supermarket cashiers will ask that to you. We would never expect that in the home country. It simply not the norm there.

When he asked me how I was doing, I said I have cough. It seems I still can't cope with the winter. It has been prolonged for more than 3 weeks now. When I asked about his whereabout, he said he's going to work at Coburg doing some cleaning works. He is 87 with only one eye functioning. Even though for his age he looks pretty healthy and strong, I can't imagine an old man of that age still working. What's more with that kind of job. He also told me that he recently lost his daughter due to cancer and his wife is so affected by that and is ill.

During the conversation, an old man about his age passing by us with his dog. I find him staring at the man. I knew that he was thinking of saying hi to the man too. But the man gave no expression at all. He then lamented of how his community is changing. No one bother to the others. Peoples do not or refuse to know each other within the neighborhood.

When a neighbor's wife in front of our house, once gave us fruits and a toy to the kids passed away couples of months ago, we did not know until several weeks later. Only one day when Arif asked his whereabout, he said he was not fine. Only later we got to know the news.

I'm thinking of how life is when I was old. Is that that rough? But our society is moving to that too. People are just spending time in home communicating with others located far away physically through email or facebook but no communication among the peoples who live around us. There are some that we even never see their faces.