Random Ramblings of a Reluctant Blogger

Opinionated. As per the Oxford dictionary it means ‘expressing or having extremely strong opinions about things that you are not willing to change.’

I admit it does have a negative ring to it. But then it is not really so. Certainly not if you are in your 60s!. For then, it is not just right, but is your birthright to be Opinionated. After all we ‘sixtyites’ have earned the entitlement to be so, just by living through a whole cycle of the Hindu calendar.

Having been there, seen that, not seen that, heard that, not heard that, done that and not done that, we all can, and should, pontificate on anything and everything. What is even more special is that we sixtyites are witness to a whole  gamut of changes in all fields. Where can I start? The Hippi culture, the cold wars, the real wars, the breaking of walls, the revolutions and the evolutions in culture, arts, sports, science and technology, we have embraced them all.

There isn’t anything to which we cannot personally not relate to. As such it would be a travesty not to preach. After all, there is so much wealth to share. To kids these days, who are up and about everything be it climate, equality or as the new fad goes gender fluidity, I tell “chill, we have seen your grandfather.” Yes, I refer to the Hippi culture. All the ‘finding myself and the ‘my body my wish,’ is but a throw back to the original badass rebel of them all. 

Talk sports. I  love shuting kids off disdainfully telling them their fav is just no match for the heroes we had. It is not that I have a small opinion of the young sportspersons, it is just that I love to keep their fans grounded. And if they resort to statistics, which all kids these days do, I get back saying, “Stats is for morons!”

Not just sports, I hold forth on any subject and conclude my arguments with a coup-de-grace _  “I have seen better.”

And why not? What technological transformations have we all not seen? Have seen the radio, for which we needed a licence, turn into a transister and later ensconce itself in the phone. Have seen dial-up phones turning into mobiles, have seen gramophone records go walkman and back to vinyl, not to speak of the easily available online. The long wait in physical queues to book train tickets to long waits in queues online to book a ticket. Many a technology, itself fell off the radar, the pager for instance. (One of the most useless pieces of invention). And through all that we too evolved learning and mastering it on the way. 

Rarely has a generation seen so many changes and adapted it so well. Being opinionated, then, comes with the territory. And I intend to make full use of it. Sermonising too has evolved. More avenues have opened up. One can now blog, tweet, podcast and use all the social media to pronounce one’s views. 

Worried about being called an old bore? No, absolutely not. It least matters if my opinion matters or not. And with the weight of history behind it, I feel it is my moral duty to lecture, no matter what the subject. To benefit from it is up to the subject. That’s the nature of  opinion and nothing will stop me from exercising the right to pontificate.

Afterall, I am, therefore I Opinionate.!