Senior Citizens Day

 

                                Senior Citizens Day

October 1st was International Senior Citizens Day, a fact brought to my attention by a member on my university alumni WA group.  A few members responded with mutual warm greetings and well wishes, bantering over a jest about who is having gold tooth or even teeth, or keeping them in the bank.

I’ve hardly watched tv or read the newspapers in recent months, preferring to overwhelm myself with my own chosen books and films – in a way getting away from the noise pollution in the media. But I can’t help overhearing discussions on tv in the past two days, on retirement homes and programs for senior citizens. Well and good that the government has an infrastructure for such projects and that there are caring individuals, whether employed in government service or on voluntary basis, who are involved in running them.

A friend on my school alumni WA group actually alerted members to such a program showing on TV3, setting a conversation on the difficulty of finding a suitable one when needed.  I playfully suggested setting up one exclusively for our alumnus…after all we do have doctors and nurses in our families to help out.  A quick rebut came in pointing out potential problems arising from habitually lazy members – that may lead to squabbles – and “peculiarities” generated by aging factors; and worse still if these are degenerating with age.  Seconders came in to that.  Laughable yes, but I still think it is a doable idea if we can, at least, start with sorting out the fine differences between “peculiarities” and “idiosyncrasies”, and come up with border lines between what are appreciable, tolerable and obnoxious.

Being a care giver to three family members myself, between the ages of 68 to 81 years, I sometimes forget that I am in that age bracket of “warga emas”(golden citizen) myself.  Maybe it is because I’m, at the same time, surrounded by two younger generations who are active, creative and loving – they keep me on the border line, or so I assume since that is how I feel on most days. 

As far as perks offered to warga emas in this country is concerned, I’ve enjoyed some - 50% off train tickets, theatre tickets, graduate study fees – for which I’m grateful.  Then there are conveniences like priority services given in queues at the Immigration Department, polling stations, airlines.  I believe there are many other similar perks that I am not aware of, and should certainly explore like the discounts given at some restaurants mentioned by friends recently.     

I cannot say these perks do not go a distance in making senior citizens feel like a privileged group, leaving them to acquire a sense of entitlement that may, in turn, make them become quite blasé towards such provision.  Sometimes it takes a momentous occasion to rekindle feelings of gratitude and the joy in it.  I had such an experience recently, courtesy of Malaysian Airlines System.   

It was my first flight out of the country on my own since 2014. Since then fear of flying has developed from covid paranoia, anxiety over any possible changes in airport administration system, sporadic back pain since 2020 and sciatic nerves working up after a long walk or sitting down for too long.  I wanted to arrive in Perth at least a day before my brother-in-law’s scheduled triple bypass open heart surgery.  I had promised my sister I would be there a few days earlier, but the date of operation was confirmed just three days before.  It was mid week; I could not find any one to accompany me on the earliest available flight.  Banking on MAS maintaining its reputed “golden service”, my daughter who had not flown overseas either in years, booked me on a MAS flight, leaving KL at 7.40 pm and arriving in Perth at 1.30 am.  She ticked off on ‘assisted flight”, citing as reason, “inability to walk long distances”, and hoped for the best, having been informed that wheelchairs are available and assistance will be provided upon departure in KL - from check-in point to the airplane door, and upon arrival in Perth - from the plane to check-out point.  I had initially protested, feeling indignant at the idea of appearing physically disabled.  I had envisaged having a staff walk with me all the way, and perhaps help to carry my hand luggage.  The last time I was pushed on a wheelchair was when I was admitted into hospital for dengue with a blood platelet count of 80 and fast dropping.  Seeing my apprehension, the MAS staff in attendance kindly advised me that using the wheelchair would make assistance much simpler and that after all, the wheelchairs are meant not for OKU (the handicapped) only, but anyone else needing them including senior citizens.  My mind instantly tweaked ‘hah, I’m entitled to that!” even if my difficulty – or in fact, fear – of walking to the plane did not qualify me for the service.  My embarrassment dissipated.

So I did well on my jolly ride on the wheelchair, assisted by a polite and cheerful young man from Sabah, getting priority service at the immigration check-point and upon boarding.  A very warm welcome from the flight crew put me at greater ease (I was feeling a bit nervous about being on my own) and during the flight, a stewardess stopped by three times to ask if I needed anything.  Upon arrival, wheelchair assisted passengers – three of us that night - were last to leave the plane.  I did not mind one bit, especially as we disembarked, seeing the Australian airport ground crew waiting to continue the assisted service.  A pleasant, portly middle-aged Australian gentleman assisted me through immigration, baggage collection and all the way to the exit door.  There was an elderly Korean lady (she had volunteered to walk after leaving the plane) who he assisted together with me.  She could not speak a word of English, understanding a few basic words only. He was very patient with her and in about 15 minutes, had her disembarkation form filled out, and was strutting up and down anxiously to retrieve her last bag.  He told her to wait while he saw me out…to my waiting sister and niece – our reunion after four years!

Well, I feel that it was an accomplishment made possible by the assistance of the MAS crew and their associates at Perth airport.  My anxieties were kept at bay and I could even enjoy the flight.  Besides getting up to stretch a few times, I was also able to turn left and right easily while sitting down as the seat next to mine was vacant.  As a result, my back and legs felt less than moderate pain at the end of the five and a half-hour flight. 

I guess this could be an occasion to feel prized as a senior citizen.  On the flight home  I was accompanied by my daughter and two grandsons who had arrived in Perth two weeks later.  We subsequently spent a week in Melbourne with my son who works in the city.  She had booked me on ‘”assisted flight” again and the whole gang benefited from the priority services accorded to me as I was wheeled about by kindly staff – first to board and disembark, breezing through the immigration check-point, baggage collection and away to passenger pick-up area.  It was not MAS, so I am able to make a comparison  between two airlines – and name MAS the winner with flying colors (pun intended).  Its reputed “golden service” has perhaps unwittingly befitted what a “warga emas” can unself-consciously ride on (pun intended again) - without feeling guilt or embarrassment – though I did wish nobody recognized me during the rides as I would have explanations to make and it would have spoilt the zen.