by Francis Quamina Farrier
IN a feature article of mine in the Guyana Sunday Chronicle, dated March 11, 2018, the headline states, “This Elderly Gentleman Welcomes age Eighty.” Five years have since gone by, and here I am, gratefully and happily and humbly announcing that I have arrived at my 85th year on planet Earth.

In recent days, I could not have forgotten relatives, close friends and colleagues who have gone to the Great Beyond ahead of me. Some of them were even younger than I.

Having been around for over eight decades, my own broad experience is that no relative, friend or colleague who has been close to you for many years ever goes away without leaving precious memories. Things which they said and did are conversation pieces.

We do agree, that happy memories are extremely precious, and can be really consoling at the loss of a loved one. That is especially so when there are some regrets about an omission or omissions of importance on our part.

However, at 85, or any age classified as “senior citizen,” and “old age,” NIS and other pensions become available. I was among the very first workers in Guyana to make National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions. We in the Public Service, had no choice to say “Yes” or “No” to making contributions to the NIS. It was simply deducted from our salaries before we received it. As such, NIS contributors at its beginning, are the foundation and early success of that Scheme. There are times when I go to the Brickdam NIS to do business, and I would jokingly point to a section of the wall and say, “My money paid for that.”

At age 85 and still enjoying fairly good health, I am extremely happy. So, when a disrespectful, rude and ‘kangahlang’ youth does something which is totally out of order, I pull ‘rank’ in a smart way. I usually seek permission from the youth to say something to them. If they do not give me permission — and that is very rare —  I would let them be. When I am given the ‘green light’ I try to give them what I think is the relevant bit of advice.

I always try my best to do so, showing them respect. There are some “Miss” and “Sir” injected into the conversation. NEVER would I say, “When I was young like you, blah, blah, blah!” NEVER.

I guess by now, you have concluded that I am really enjoying being a healthy octogenarian and elderly gentleman. Indeed, at age 85 I am enjoying being alive.