Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get old? How the simple tasks you once found easy to carry out would become more difficult?

Has it occurred to you that you might become stuck in a fit of frustration that things aren’t the same as they used to be while you’re still called upon to earn a living the same as everyone else? 

This frustration would inevitably lead to an increase in grumpiness and discontent, which is why so many uncles (and aunties, for that matter) in Singapore seem to walk around with a perpetual frown on their faces.(Nothing against them, of course.) The saying “worked to the bone” really makes sense in this case. 

We all feel invincible when we are young; aging is the furthest thing from our minds. We want to seize the proverbial day and, in doing so, get caught up in the daily grind and work our butts off just to pay the bills, put food on the table and chase that promotion… allowing ourselves a bit of leisure along the way. And then, before we know it, we find ourselves collecting our CPF and deciding what to do with the remaining years of our lives. 

What gets to me is seeing these uncles and aunties having to eke out a living even when, at their age, they should be reaping the benefits of a life of hard work and retirement. It’s a fact that in the race from third world to first, Singapore has become ever more competitive and those who don’t keep up – even the elderly – risk getting left behind. It’s just the nature of the society we live in. If you don’t continue earning your keep, what else is there left for you to do but lay down and die? Cruel, but true. 

So do your small part to make things a little easier for the aged. Clear your tray the next time you finish a meal at the hawker centre. Mop up that mess you made at your neighbourhood fast food outlet. Make way for that old auntie who’s rushing to get a seat in the train even before you disembark. Place not one, but two dollars in the hand of the uncle who spends his days selling tissue paper on the street corner and wondering where his next meal will come from. 

These are all tiny sacrifices, but they would make a big difference. Because one day, it might well be an aged you (or me) in some eatery mopping up spilled sundaes, creaky bones notwithstanding, and we’d be thankful for every little gesture that made our remaining years that little bit easier. – RYAN REUBEN

The MH Blog is updated every Tuesday. Got something to say to the MH editorial bloggers? E-mail us at magmenshealth@sph.com.sg