LIVING HAPPILY AFTER RETIREMENT

Speech by 

(After serving in the Reserve Bank of India for forty long years, retired at the age of 60)

I am thankful to the Chembur Senior Citizens’ Association for offering me a chance to be with all of you this evening. I regret that I shall begin with a funeral reference. Since death is but part of Life I shall recount this charming story.

In a tiny village in Kerala, a devout Christian breathed his last and the local priest being out of station, a priest from an adjoining village was called upon to deliver the funeral oration.
“Ladies and Gentlemen”, began the venerable pastor with the dead body in a coffin before him.

“Here lies dead before me a rare human being of this village with outstanding qualities. He was a gentleman, a scholar, sweet of tongue, gentle of temper and very catholic in outlook. He was generous to a fault and ever smiling”.

"Here lies dead before me a rare 

human being of this village with 

outstanding qualities.

The widow of the deceased stood up at the end of the Hall
and screamed, “O ! God ! They are burying the wrong man." 

A similar doubt can reasonably arise in my wife’s mind about the qualities of my head and heart eloquently praised by the previous speaker.

(To be continued)