In 1975, a newspaper in America described Elvis Presley as fat, forty and fading. He was called ‘fat’ because by that time Elvis had gained enormous weight and his body size had ballooned and he looked more like a cartoon rather than a global superstar. He was called ‘forty’ because he turned forty on 8th January 1975. And he was called ‘fading’ because both the standard and quality of his shows as well as his personal life appeared to be deteriorating. It is said that between 1970 and 1977, Elvis did as many as 150 shows per year. That amounted to more than 1100 shows during that period. And whether the venue had a 15,000 sitting capacity or a 25,000 capacity, one common ingredient of all Elvis’ shows was that there would never be an empty seat. Yes, empty seats were not a part of the Elvis culture. Moreover, tickets to the shows were always sold out days ahead of the concert. And irrespective of whether Elvis gave a good performance or not, people would still turn up in bulks for his next shows because the people could simply not get enough of him.
By the time Elvis was 20 years old, he was known globally and he enjoyed unprecedented fame and success till his death in 1977. But despite his iconic status, Elvis could not take care of himself and became totally dependent on prescription drugs which ultimately proved to be his undoing. He finally passed away at the premature age of 42 years as a fat dejected man and a fading star.
When I think about the life and death of Elvis, I realize that 42 years is certainly not a time for someone to die as a sad dejected and frustrated man – more so for someone like Elvis who had and still has such a global impact. He still had many more years to live, many more songs to sing, many more shows to give and many more lives to touch. It was certainly such a great loss that the voice which touched millions of hearts around the world was silenced at such a tender age.
Nobody wants to grow old. We all dread old age and many youngsters dread entering into their 40s because they feel once someone is forty he is an old man. We have all heard about the so-called mid-life crisis which obviously refers to the 40s.
But if we think properly we will realize that our 40s could be the most productive and prolific years of our lives. When someone is in his 40s he is usually a well-settled family man raising young kids or teenagers and he is usually not unemployed as he would have learnt how to sustain himself and his family. Therefore, a person in his 40s is usually no longer bothered about finding a mate or an occupation. That means he is in a much more better position to concentrate on the higher goals of life than a person in his 20s or 30s who is still fully occupied with issues like finding a mate or an occupation.
By the time a person turns 40, he will no longer be physically as strong, flexible and agile like a 30 or a 20 years old. He will also not have as much stamina as a person in his 20s or 30s. This is the reason why sportspersons retire by their mid or late 30s. A person still playing active sports in his late 30s or early 40s is usually considered an old sportsperson. But a person who retires from sports as an old sportsperson is still considered a young man as far as life outside the sports arena is concerned.
I believe it is also important that we do not overdo things. In other words, we should not exhaust ourselves in such a way that it begins to take a toll on our physical, emotional or spiritual well-being. There was no need for Elvis to do 150 shows a year. He was rich, famous and extremely successful. He had nothing more to prove to the world. So he should have slowed down, relaxed and went a little easy on himself. Even if he chose to do just one show per week, he would still have done 52 shows per year and that would also have been incredible. And if Elvis had chosen not to exhaust himself too much, he might have been still entertaining the world even in his 50s and 60s instead of passing away at 42 and could have contributed much more to popular music and culture.
And it appeared like Elvis was also under the complete control of his manager Tom Parker who was a businessman to the core. Parker was interested only in the money that the shows were generating and he did not care about what Elvis wanted or needed. When one is unable to come out of the bondage of being controlled and manipulated by unscrupulous and self-centered beings, one is sure to be doomed. Elvis was trapped in the cage and he ultimately ended up a mere cartoon. That should be a lesson in itself. There must come a time when one learns to take one’s own decision for one’s own well-being instead of being used and manipulated by others at the sake of material profit, fame or glory.
Though a man in his 40s may not physically be as strong and flexible like he used to be, he has become mentally, emotionally and spiritually strong and is in prime position to influence and inspire others in many ways. His experiences and the challenges which he faced and overcame in his 20s and 30s would have made him a tough knack to crack. And therefore he would now be in top gear to rewrite his own story and the story of others as well. And therefore, the 40s is certainly not a time to give up, or retire or walk into the sunset. And certainly, 40s is not the time to die either physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. Rather the 40s is a time to rejuvenate all those dead dreams and aspirations and it is the time to live not only for oneself but also for others.
Recently I met an old high school classmate of mine. At first I could not recognize him because he looked so old, matured and different. I don’t know whether he felt the same thing about me. He looked completely beaten-up with life and he also appeared to have a defeated mindset. I felt sorry for him because he also appeared to have given up on life as we exchanged pleasantries and recollected old times.
I guess many Nagas are like this classmate of mine. They start feeling old and done once they enter their forties. But I don’t have any intention to live my life like this. I believe I still have many contributions to make, many experiences to experience and I want to believe that my best years are not behind me but in front of me.
I believe that a human-being is three-dimensional – physical, emotional and spiritual. And it should be our priority not to neglect any of these aspects of life.
Today, I may not be able to run, jump or bend like a teenager. But I still feel young physically and I am much more stable emotionally and spiritually than I used to be. Many of the things which used to frustrate and annoy me in the past are no longer that frustrating and annoying. I have also become less self-centered and have realized that my life is intrinsically linked to the lives of others (especially my near and dear ones). In the past, there were times when I did things just to satisfy my ego and emotions but now I realize that living for others rather than for yourself is the best deal one can get out of life.
I do regular exercise, I drink lots of water, I don’t consume any intoxicants and I take utmost care to ensure my emotional and spiritual well-being as well. And I do all these because I don’t want anybody to call me “Fat, Forty and Fading.”
