Sunday, June 18, 2006


Every time I look at an old man


Every time I look at an old man my thoughts always drift to what kind of old man I’d make.

It really scares me to think that at my old age I will be incapable of dealing with the world.It scares me when I see a poor old man, finding difficulties to cope with this life. If he’s a man with simple knowledge and a simple job, I keep wondering about what kind of life he had, the choices he made, the kind of thinking he thought to be where he is now. It’s like looking on at my own future and it triggers me to think of things I need to do and things I need to be. Perhaps it reminds me that I should never be too arrogant no matter how good life gets because nothing ever lasts.

Whenever I see a charming and wise old man, I’m inspired. I’m inspired to become a man of charm and influence; a man capable of leaving an impression upon meeting a stranger, an impression that would last the stranger a lifetime. I’m inspired to work, to think and hope. I keep wondering though about what that man did or was doing all his life to reach the point of being a remarkable old man. Was it something about his job, was it something about his attitude or was it pure luck. Do some men get better with age, while others burn out? Which one am I?

I would like to become a marvelous old person.. just someone who would leave an impression on you if you'd met him that would last you a lifetime.

It seems rather absurd though to think all these thoughts as a young man, not knowing whether I will continue to live even for just a few days much less a whole lifetime. I know it seems strange because there remains a lot to do before reaching that stage, many more stages and many more phases. But that’s what’s triggered in my head when I see an old man, partly because I believe that the only thing that death is incapable of taking away from you is the person you become. Death can take you, but it cannot take away your past or who you were while you were on a brief visit to life.

4 comments:

Alluring said...

Very rarely you find a young man thinking that way, hell, it's almost non existent!
BUt i'm sure you'll be just fine.

Reading this post made me think about how my father always wanted to be, and i don't know why, your words brought tears in my eyes.

We just need to focus on our daily doings, in order to be remembered the way we want to.

Wael Eskandar said...

You're right, we have to focus on what we do each day, but the real question is, are we heading towards where we want to be by doing the things we decide to do today?

Herlock Sholmes said...

Only one certainty in life: Death. Better hope you get there as an old man :)

Wael Eskandar said...

:) I guess I am am filled with too much ambition of growing old when I see an old man, so that's how I'll explain it.. pure ambition.