What are the oldest things you’re wearing today?
The narrative reflects on the symbolism of a cherished shirt, which symbolises the passage of time and the transience of life. The protagonist’s emotional connection to the shirt showcases the significance of material possessions. Over time, the shirt deteriorates, mirroring the inevitability of ageing and change. The story draws a parallel between the shirt and human life, emphasising that while physical items may fade, thoughts and actions endure. The skin is highlighted as the “garment” we wear throughout life, essential for protection and health. Ultimately, it poses that caring for the body is a responsibility, as it houses our identity until the end.
He used to wear a white shirt with thin black vertical lines. It was his favoured shirt, which he considered his most prized possession for two reasons. First, he had purchased it on his own with money earned from tutoring, and second, it received widespread appreciation.
The shirt was his lucky charm, and he wholeheartedly believed in its power. He wore it on special occasions, convinced of its significance. The notion of the shirt being lucky was deeply embedded in his mind. Although he couldn’t pinpoint why he felt this way or how this belief developed, it had undoubtedly taken hold in his thoughts.
Time passed. His lucky shirt started waning its sheen, lustre and brightness. It had started tearing. He would get it darned to keep it usable. Gradually, the shirt weakened, and its maintenance exceeded its cost. The emotional attachment to the shirt was overpowering, so he kept wearing it for a long time, so much so that it reached the brink of self-destruction.
After several uses, he stored it securely folded in a trunk. Upon opening the trunk after a long time, he was excited to find the shirt nestled deep inside.
Soon, disappointment overpowered his joy when he saw that the shirt had become brittle and utterly damaged. It had completed its tenure and expired. With a heavy heart, he consigned it to a river. The shirt, which was with him for years, which has been a witness to his struggle, has ultimately gone.
During the sojourn, one encounters many things that become a prized possession. It applies to everything around. From material objects to abstract possessions like relationships, friendships and love-hate bonds. They come, play the ordained role and vanish.
Sitting alone, he was staring at the horizon. The morning was pleasant, with a clear sky and a few birds dotting it. He usually enjoys the solitude of talking to his inner conscience. It gives him mental relaxation and solutions to some, if not all, problems. His mind was wandering in the aeon, and suddenly came to a point when it compared the shirt with human life. He found a strange uniformity between the shirt and the life of an organism. Like the shirt, the life of an organism is fleeting and temporary; he thought and murmured in a tone of a whisper but loud enough to be heard.
Thinking of the oldest thing in an uncertain and temporary world is a feeble idea. The things that are made immortal or near-immortal are one’s thoughts and actions. While thoughts are abstract, the actions are visible and tangible. The actions give feelings, and they take one back in time. Though the shirt mentioned in the above paragraphs was not with him, it was alive in his thoughts.
He recalled his childhood. Infancy was out of bounds as he was young enough to recollect them. From that day till now, he had covered more than seventy miles of his life. He looked at his body. Scars, wrinkles, and saggy skin had made their home on his body. Texts have clearly been written by time on his face and body using a bold marker. His face has considerably changed. He would compare his face, placing his early and recent portraits side by side.
The face looked different. A fresh teenager is a completely transformed individual, both physically and emotionally. A lot of water has flowed into the river. After several decades, his sucked face looked like a raisin, with many wrinkles. The only common thing was his eyes. Suddenly, his student years floated before his eyes. His girl classmates were fond of his eyes. They used to admire his eyes often.
Material things are fleeting in nature; they come and go. Nothing is permanent. The mundane world is like a dream. Things and incidents play their role and vanish in thin air, leaving a sweet fragrance in the atmosphere and a pinch of ashes like a burning incense stick, which slowly burns without flame, leaving a wisp of curly, redolent smoke.
He examined his body, groping every part with his eyes, occasionally touching his hand, toe, face, head and chest. His organs were working satisfactorily. While watching himself, his eyes scanned his skin. It appeared that skin is a type of natural shroud. It covers the whole body and is elastic enough to accommodate the constant stretch of growth, both in volume and length of the body. It is the only thing he never changed, nor did he find it worn-out and brittle as his favourite shirt was. It is the sheet, perfectly stitched on his body, covering and protecting every organ, muscle, bone, vessel and nerve. He was amazed by the perfection of the body “garment” without stitching, yet perfectly cut and tailored.
Skin is the largest organ of the body. It protects from the external environment and is perfectly thermostatic. The human skin is tightly attached to muscles beneath it with a layer of serrated muscle called panniculus carnosus, which allows free movement of the skin. Unlike other animal groups like amphibians, reptiles and birds, it is intimately attached to muscles.
Humans, like other mammals, are warm-blooded. Their body temperature doesn’t change with the atmosphere. Nature has arranged a unique system to regulate and keep the body temperature constant. Hair is a unique mammalian feature that covers the whole skin and traps air. The trapped air, which is a bad conductor of heat, forms an invisible blanket and saves the body from harsh temperature variations, helping keep it at a constant temperature. The sweat gland secretes sweat that evaporates at the skin’s surface, using body heat and cools it.
Skin is a vital organ which protects the body from external weather conditions and damage. It is sensitive to changes in weather conditions and impulses. Various stimuli are picked up by a network of fine nerves beneath the skin and transported to the brain for processing and returning a command to react suitably.
Skin is the “garment” we wear for our whole life. It needs to be kept clean and healthy. A bright and radiant skin is the testimony of good health. Even in old age, it protects the body from pathogens and other harmful substances in the environment. A meticulous skin care regimen is essential to keep oneself healthy.
Vitamin E keeps skin glowing and healthy. The fat-soluble vitamin is found in various items like fish, green leafy vegetables, eggs, and seeds like sesame and sunflower. Dry fruits like almonds and walnuts are also its rich source. A balanced diet helps keep a plump and good texture of skin.
The body is our asset. It is the “house” for our soul. It lives in the body till the end. We owe our individuality to our body, and our skin is its showcase. A healthy, flawless skin showcases good health in an individual. Taking care of body is one’s responsibility and duty. In the epic of the Mahabharat, Yudhisthir, while answering questions to Yaksha, says it is righteous to protect our body and soul.
It is the “garment” we all wear for the whole of our lives. It is the oldest thing that we are wearing today, and we keep wearing it as long as life permits us.
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