Sweet Sixty

Seshadri didn't expect that his thoughts shared on his retirement day would bring such a great result. 

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Anyone who had seen Seshadri would not believe he had reached retirement age, as he was always energetic. There was a practice in his company to collect information about the retiree on the occasion of retirement and let everyone know about that in the retirement function. 

When the details of 'What will he do after retirement?' were shared with everyone, many were surprised to hear Seshadri's answer. He shared that his wish was to travel across the country for a year on a new motorcycle the next day onwards. On hearing this, all his colleagues expressed their opinions. 

"At this age, is it necessary to travel on a motorbike? Do you think that you are a sixteen-year-old boy?" 

"The condition of the roads is so bad. If there is an accident and you fall on the road, who will be there to support you?" 

"It's not enough for us to drive well, the others on the road also have to drive properly." 

"If you hire a taxi and travel, you will be comfortable. If you go on a bike to save money, you might get robbed during the journey." 

Seshadri has answers to all these queries. One is the desire he had since childhood to ride bikes. He could not go on long drives due to official work. Now, this is the time to fulfill that desire. One need not feel old when they reach sixty. Sixty years is not old when someone is ruling a country at the age of eighty. Road conditions are never the same. With proper precautions and protective gear, we can travel safely. Moreover, the joy of riding a bike would not be there while sitting in the back seat of a car. His philosophy was accepted by some, but opposed by many. Whatever it was, Seshadri decided to go ahead as these colleagues would not be involved in his new life. 

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As per his plan, Seshadri purchased a new bike with all the protective gear to start his trip. He stopped at the possible places on the way, took a rest, enquired about the importance of that place, and mingled with the people there, as he proceeded to enjoy his journey. He learned conversational words in other languages over some time, and hence, spoke to the people of each region in their language, thus could win their hearts very quickly. 

Local people started informing their acquaintances of the next place where he was to arrive and further facilitated his journey. This was a development he had never expected. In one or two cases though there were some mishaps, bystanders came to his rescue and proved that humanity was still available in society. 

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Seshadri started recording highlights of his journey on his phone and uploading them on his YouTube channel. He made this effort to preserve his journey and memories forever, but not intending to get viewership. 

As his journey progressed through the villages and towns, his channel started reaching more people. The way he talked to everyone, spoke in their languages, and the advice he gave on various occasions, were displayed on his channel. By the end of his trip, he had become a big 'celebrity'. This unexpected development was very new not only to him but also to his colleagues in the office. 

Seshadri explained what 'Sweet Sixty' is in one of his videos. "A person can always be in the same way whether he was in his sixteen or sixty, provided he maintains enthusiasm. If our effort is right, success will follow by itself. Don't feel that reaching sixty is a burden for society or the person, it will always be Sweet Sixty if we plan it that way. 

Seshadri's journey is continuing towards new destinations. 

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