How are you?

I have a friend who claims to be a good astrologer and had the habit of giving unsolicited advice to his friends and relatives. Whenever he calls me, he would ask `How are you?` Even before I answered  he would advise me to take special care of my health because according to my horoscope, which he claimed to possess, it was not a  good time for me in terms of my health.  I used to have this uneasy feeling that he is trying to tell me that my exit from this world is imminent! I would always tell him, `Don`t worry. God`s grace, I am ok. Thanks for your concern`

When others ask me the same question I have a standard answer, ` Thalai vali & Thirugu vali yoda Sowkiama Irukken` ( I am ok, living with all the aches & pains ). What else can I say? I don`t believe in lying that ` I am on top of the world` when actually I have a number of old age related health  issues which dog me from time to time. I have realized that however serious I am about looking after my health, I just cannot stop the ageing process & related issues that every one faces in life. After two hospitalization experience five years ago I have become paranoid about my health; about what I eat, what I drink, about my morning walks accompanied by mandatory physical exercises including pranayama  and meditation etc. While my overall health is ok and all my health parameters are under control, I am unable to do anything about the pains and aches I suffer lying in bed in the night. While I sleep soundly for the first four hours, it is a night mare after that when I find that my body has become numb on one side, or I am unable to lift my hand because it has become frozen or I have spasmodic pains in my thighs etc. I keep tossing and turning in my bed until my alarm rings at 4am.

Based on advice from friends, I consulted an Ortho,  an Ayurvedic doctor, a physiotherapist and few other `body parts`  specialists. As you are aware, these days you get doctors who are specialists in leg , knees , hips  or hands or even finger related problems apart from the traditional heart, kidney, cancer specialists! The list is endless.

Since a friend suggested that I may be having posture problems while sleeping or may be the mattress on my bed is not right,  I bought an expensive` memory foam` mattress .Nothing seems to work. A friend whom I call  ` Mr.Know All` was emphatic that it was all  because of inadequate blood circulation  while I am lying in bed. Funnily, all these problems vanish, once I am up and running doing the chores of the day. Making me inclined to believe my friend.

A few years ago, a friend told me, `If some one asks you `How are you`  please note that they don`t expect you to give a  treatise on your piles problem. Just say `Fine` and move on`. But these days I give a different response. I tell them `Today, I am on top of the world. About tomorrow, I will tell you tomorrow`. In other words I have learnt to live life, one day at a time. This way I am able to  celebrate my life every day!

This article has  appeared in Adyar Times under my column `Rajan`s Random Reflections`

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