Teens are the new fifties

 

Growing up in New Delhi had not prepared me for this. The first time, the polar vortex hit New York City, I felt as though my face had been pricked by endless invisible pin shaped winds. There were tears in my eyes. From the wind, that is. My hands numb. But then, when the mercury dipped to those excruciating teens again after a brief warm week, it wasn’t as uncomfortable as the first time. It was déjà vu. I could actually walk without my cap on my head. Yay!

Teens are the new fifties for me now. Yes that’s the new cold scale a.k.a the scale of endurance.

This has been one of the unkindest winters, they say.  People navigating through those slippery icy roads as they try to get to work, school, restaurants, gyms..unhurt. Potential lovers looking anxiously at the weather forecast to see their dates didn’t get ruined by another snow monster. The old lady selling newspapers and screaming “Hello New York” outside the World Trade Center building hoping her papers didn’t get soaked in the snow-rain mix even though there is nothing that can dampen her own spirits. Those calm building doormen wishing that some of us actually used the revolving doors to prevent the chilly winds from blasting into the building lobby. These and many more characterize this malicious winter.

And then there is me. There is this teenager kid trapped inside me that will do anything to resist this cold, loath it. But there is also this 50 year old inside that is growing bigger and bigger, telling the kid that this is basically how one should learn to brave new obstacles  – to experience the arctic like chilly weather conditions,  to not slip while walking on the icy snowy roads and to eventually realize that there are battles worse than this which need to be fought.  The kid shivers even at the mention of the word ‘worse’ – what can be worse than this? And the 50 year old lonely man tells the kid – “oh there are so many things that can be worse than this overrated weather”. The kid asks “Like what”. The old man replies “Like losing your near and dear ones, waking up in the middle of the night to find out that there are things scarier than ghosts, like living the next 70 years without a companion”. The kid is scared, already with some tears in his eyes thinking about all that can be worse than this frigid cold.

The 50 year old man simply smiles as he wears on his snow boots, his warm woolen jacket and a warm comforting scarf around his neck. He is almost ready to get out of his apartment to go to work as he drags the kid to face this cold, embrace it. Embrace the reality. And embrace I do  - I, the bearer of teenager sensibilities and old man reality. With lots of reluctance though. As I prepare to leave my apartment however, I check the bathroom mirror and notice that there are wrinkles on my face and my hair has turned all grey. I step out of my apartment. There is still that old man smile on my lips but also the teenager tears in my eyes. Tears from the wind, that is. Drying up quickly.