How are elderly women treated in our societies, and how do they take it? The question is not prompted by one or two incidents. I site here two cases-- one from my personal experience the other from news in the public domain to enhance the concern. I visited a family friend of mine last time I visited Kerala. The big family yard was partitioned among the three children; each built a two-story large home in each plot. The elated mother was chirpy in conversation; her warm smile hadn't faded away in the years. Why should a lucky woman live with all the children in front of her eyes? Sweet and honey when she talked about her children, their achievements and her husband. Photo: https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/6297/production/_116493252_rajini-index.jpg (not the original size) We settled over a cup of coffee in the newly furnished dining room when she began to pour her heart in front of me. Her chirpiness leaned into mumbling, eyes wet. Her husband took the centrepie
(From Public Domain Pictures) I got a big surprise, when I joined the Master's course at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. On the first day of the orientation week, our professor urged us to address each other by the first name. I didn't feel comfortable with calling the professor by his first name: that was going against my entire notion of learner -teacher relationship.