‘Riding off into the sunset’

By Herbert Vego

“RIDING off into the sunset” is an often-misunderstood idiom. I myself used to attach a negative connotation to it, alluding to a retiree spending the rest of his old life in anticipation of death. On the contrary, it means “to begin a new happy life.”

I turned 71 years old as a human being early this year, and 51 as a journalist. I have been writing news, features, and columns for a forgotten number of publications since 1970.

I have written four books, starting with Getting to Know Nora – a 1974 compilation of illustrated anecdotes on singer-actress Nora Aunor.

To me, “riding off into the sunset” means either embracing retirement as a new chapter of life or taking up another income-generating activity.

To me, it’s exercising the same career I have trained hard for.

If it’s any consolation to other senior citizens, old age positively matters. Like vintage wine, the old sage may even be preferable to the young.

To quote singer-composer Cat Stevens in his song Father and Son, “Look at me, I am old but I’m happy.”

One of the blessings that only we senior citizens enjoy is the privilege of paying less for many things, especially food and medicines – no VAT, but with a 20% discount.

I remember that day when I entered a fast-food restaurant to eat breakfast consisting of pandesal with hamburger and egg plus coffee worth 53 pesos. All I had in my wallet was 50. But because of my senior citizen’s ID, I paid only P36.40.

Honestly, though, I would rather not get sick than buy discounted “maintenance” medicines. Ask those on “maintenance” and they will tell you that despite their discount privilege, they save no money for pleasurable options like travel and entertainment.

Old people need not be discarded. Old but healthy men reflect deathless character and pricelessness – just like the old masters’ paintings, diamonds, old silverware, old furniture, old coins, old books, aged wine and vintage cars. Greece and Egypt thrive because of tourists who flock to see the ruins of past civilizations.

We don’t usually lament the loss of a new thing; we cry over the breakage of an antique plate or flower base.

There are old books that are so packed with wisdom that they keep their authors alive in our hearts. Among them are the Bible and the writings of old Greek philosophers like Plato, Aristotle and Socrates, which require new translations from generation to generation.

It surprised me to learn that “old” is an old word with “young” undertone, derived from an Indo-European root that means “to nourish.” No wonder even an infant could be one-month “old”.

Unfortunately, when contrasted to “new,” “fresh,” or “young,” the “old” narrows its meaning to “stale,” “worn” and “dying.”

It is often only in old age, however, that we cherish the memories of our youth. We love to look at our old pictures and share with the young the memories of the “good old days when we were young.” How we regret not having preserved most of our old photographs!

Let the Bible remind us, “Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days” (Job 12:12). There could be no memorable adventure without traveling from youth to old age.

With good health, old age should never be a reason to give up living. Moses was 120 years old when he died.

Moses now pales in comparison to a lola from Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental. Francisca Montes-Susano — who turned 123 on Sept. 11, 2020 —  is now considered the oldest living Filipino. Her family has already submitted supporting documents to the Guinness Book of World Records to qualify her for the title “world’s oldest living person.”

It’s a cinch she would dislodge another woman — Kane Tanaka, 117, of Fukuoka, Japan – who is Guinness’ current title holder.

To reiterate what I wrote about in a past column, Benjamin Franklin — whose picture appears on all US $100 bills — was already 81 in 1787 when elected to the Constitutional Convention that would frame the Constitution of the newly-created United States of America.

Wow, I still have 10 more years to catch up with Franklin of that era. That gives me added reason to move on: There is “forever” in writing, believing that constant word hunting could prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

The people who fear old age think of it as the gateway to the graveyard. The truth, however, is that death does not choose between the old and the young. To quote Abraham Lincoln, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count; it’s the life in your years.”

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A WORD ON POWER METER

MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) has made it known that all its power meters in Iloilo City are tamper-proof. Each meter has two seals – one from MORE Power, another from the Energy Regulation Commission (ERC).

Should you suspect power pilferage, please review your average electricity use each billing period. There should be no significant step change in the energy used; otherwise, this could be an indicator of theft.

Thus, if an average weekly use of 100 kWhrs drastically jumps up, it could draw the power utility’s suspicion. The customer may have a neighbor using an extension lead.

Overbilling due to wrong meter reading, moreover, was one of the reasons why the House committee on legislative franchisees junked Panay Electric Company’s bid for renewal of franchise and awarded it to MORE Power instead.