OLD

One day, my family and I went to the province where the phone signal was weak and trees grew taller than a 5-story building. A place where there is nothing to do except bask in nature and talk to people you meet.

With the peace and serenity that surrounded me, I decided to take a walk along a well-cemented road built for cars while smoking cigarettes. In a few minutes, I saw an old man also smoking standing in front of a big house who I decided to approach and ask questions for a conversation.

From our that talk, I have learned a lot. I hope you can learn too as these may be the truth of life that we do not understand and only the old who had lived so many years have the wisdom to share.

1. There is no sense in fighting

He said he stayed away from conflict. He wanted peace and a quiet life. There is no sense in arguing with people. He said that each and everyone has their own perspective and understanding of things so there is no point debating with each other. He let them be as long as they let him be. He had his own struggles of his own and would rather focus on that.

But what if that conflict affected him or his family? He would still stay away and find other ways. He would rather keep his family safe than create inconvenience for him and his loved ones. It worked for him and his family is living the life they wanted.

2. Moderately enjoy what life provides

He drinks. He smokes. He goes to different places. He worked. He was 81 when I talked to him and he has no illnesses. His secret is he consumes moderately.

He does not drink to pass out. He drinks just to spend time with family and friends. He does not smoke just because he wanted to. He smokes after completing a work. He treats it as a reward. He does not eat a lot. He likes to try new dishes but said that he only liked few dishes. He spent enough time working that earned him enough to support his family and afford a little luxury. There is no point in having so much if you do not need it.

3. Family is the priority

He said he met a lot of people. He said he made friends along the way. But, most of them will be gone in a few years. Friends is good to have but only very few will be with you. He also said that even those very few friends you have will not be with you all the time when you need them.

But his family is. His family has been with him for better or worse. They may not be together all the time especially now that his children have their own families but when it matters, they will always be there.

The amount of time he spent with his family is more compared to what he spent working and spending time with friends. He said that it is just not the quality of time they have but the amount of time they have for each other.

I think he just gave me a glimpse of the future. I think he just took me in another version of life worth living. With all the hustles and bustle of life, it felt like this is the way to go.

Live free of conflict. Live in moderation. Spend more time with those you love.

Simple yet a lot of us find it hard to do. But still doable. So, I hope we can all find the wisdom in his story and we can live better than who we were yesterday.