Ukutshintsha Isimo Sengqondo Ngeminyaka Yobudala
UMDALA xa uneminyaka emingaphi? Kubonakala ngathi impendulo ixhomekeke kulowo ubuza kuye. Abantu abaselula baya kukuvuyela ukugxotha nabani na oneminyaka engaphezu kwama-25 kwibutho labo.
Kwelinye icala, iimvumi zeopera azifikeleli kwincopho yobomi bazo de zibe zingene nzulu ebomini. Yaye ngokubhekisele kwabo bazimisele ukuba kwizikhundla eziphakamileyo emsebenzini ingxelo yephephandaba laseOstreliya iThe Sun-Herald ithi: “Namhlanje kuyinyaniso engenakuphikwa ukuba xa ungekafikeleli kwelo nqanaba ude ube neminyaka engama-40 ubudala, libala.”
Iinkolelo Eziqhelekileyo
Bambi banokucinga ukuba abantu abadala batyekele ekwenzeni iingozi yaye bazifunda kade izinto yaye ngokuthe ngcembe imizimba yabo iyawohloka. Ngaba kusengqiqweni ukucinga ngaloo ndlela? Enyanisweni, ngokwamanani eNtlangano Yehlabathi Yezempilo, kwingingqi yonke yaseYurophu, “kwiingozi zeendlela ezibulalayo ezintathu, enye ibandakanya abantu abangaphantsi kweminyaka engama-25 ubudala.” Ngaphezu koko, okona kuwohloka komzimba kukhawulezileyo kwenzeka phakathi kwabantu abaneminyaka engama-30 ukusa kwengama-40 ubudala, yaye akukho bungqina bokuba ubukrelekrele bomntu osempilweni buyehla njengoko iminyaka ihamba.
Kuthekani ngenkolelo yokuba abantu abakhulileyo bayagula? IThe Medical Journal of Australia ithi: “Kukho intsomi ethi ukwaluphala nezifo kuyahambelana.” Kuyinyaniso ukuba, uninzi lwabantu abadala lunandipha umlinganiselo othile wempilo yaye aluziboni lwaluphele. Bambi bavakalelwa ngendlela esavakalelwa ngayo isithethi sikarhulumente waseMerika uBernard Baruch, owathi: “Kum umntu omdala ngoneminyaka engaphezu kwelishumi elinesihlanu kweyam.”
Kutheni ke ngoko abantu abakhulileyo besoloko begxekwa yaye maxa wambi bade bachaswe ngokuphandle? Impendulo ibandakanya kakhulu isimo sethu sengqondo ngokwaluphala.
Isimo Sengqondo Ngobudala
KwiThe New York Times Magazine, uMax Frankel wathi: “Abantu baseMerika bathe swii ingqondo bubutsha baza bazigqwetha izimvo ngokuphathelele ubudala.” Ukhalaza ngelithi: “Abafunwa nokubonwa abantu abadala kurhwebo lukawonke-wonke.” Oku kunokucacisa umnqa owabonwa yiThe UNESCO Courier xa yathi: ‘Uluntu aluzange luwenzele izinto ezinkulu kangaka amalungu alo akhulileyo. Ayangenelwa kukhuseleko lwezoqoqosho nasekuhlaleni, kodwa ibutho labantu liwajonga ngendlela engathandekiyo kwaphela.’
Necandelo lezonyango ngokwalo liyachaphazeleka kweli khethe. Ngokutsho kweThe Medical Journal of Australia: “Oogqirha abaninzi, kuquka noluntu ngokubanzi, lukholelwa ekubeni abantu abaneminyaka engaphezu kwama-65 ubudala badala kakhulu ukuba bangakhuselwa kwizifo ezithile. . . . Esi simo sengqondo sigqwethekileyo . . . siye sabangela ukuba abantu abakhulileyo bangabandakanywa kwizifundo ezithile ezibalulekileyo.”
Lo lindixesha mnye ukwathi: “Isimo sengqondo esigqwethekileyo ngabantu abakhulileyo, ukubabiza ngokuthi ‘ngabantu abalupheleyo’ kunokusetyenziswa njengesebe lenkawu ukuze bangafumani uncedo lwezamayeza olusemagqabini. Iingxaki zempilo ezininzi eziqhelekileyo, kodwa ezincinane, njengokungaboni nokungeva kakuhle zibethwa ngoyaba okanye zamkelwe njengezihambisana nokwaluphala. . . . Kubalulekile ukuba izimo zengqondo ngabantu abakhulileyo zitshintshe ukuze kubekho uncedo lwamayeza okuthintela izifo.”
Ulindixesha wezonyango waseBritani iThe Lancet ucebisa ngelithi: “Mhlawumbi lifikile ixesha lokuba siyiqwalasele ngokutsha ingcaciso yoko kukuko ukuba mdala, ubuncinane kumazwe ahambele phambili ngezoqoqosho.” Kutheni kubalulekile nje oku? Lo lindixesha uyacacisa: “Ingcaciso entsha inganciphisa iimvakalelo zokuphelelwa lithemba, izigqibo kunye neengxelo ezimbi ezisetyenziswayo ukuxhasa ikhethe ‘elijoliswe kwinani elandayo labantu abalupheleyo’ abangafumani nkathalo yaneleyo kumaziko ezonyango.”
Inani Labantu Abalupheleyo Liyanda
Linyaniso elokuba inani labantu abalupheleyo liyanda—alimanga ndawonye. IThe UNESCO Courier ithi: “Ehlabathini lonke, inani labantu abaneminyaka engama-65 nangaphezulu ubudala liya kwanda ngokuphindwe kane phakathi kowe-1955 nowe-2025, yaye umlinganiselo wabo uza kuphindeka kabini ngelo xesha.”
Inani labantu abalupheleyo eIndiya sele lingaphezu kwenani labemi baseFransi bebonke. Yaye kuthiwa eUnited States, abantu abazizigidi ezingama-76—abazelwe kwiminyaka eli-18 emva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II—baza kuthabath’ umhla-phantsi kwesi siqangatha senkulungwane sizayo. Ngoxa olu tyekelo ngakubantu abalupheleyo ehlabathini libangela inkxalabo kwizazi ngezoqoqosho nabasebenzi bezempilo, likwabangela ukuba sihlolisise indlela esikujonga ngayo ukwaluphala.
Ukuguquka Kwezinto
Bambi banokufanisa ubomi nomdlalo onamacandelo amathathu. Kulindeleke ukuba icandelo lokuqala libalaseliswe yimincili yobutsha nemfundo. Iimbopheleleko zokukhulisa intsapho noxinezeleko lomsebenzi olunganiki mnyinyiva kulindelwe ukuba zinkqenkqeze phambili kwicandelo lesibini. Kwicandelo lesithathu, abadlali bakhuthazwa ukuba basuke kudumo lwasesidlangalaleni baze ngomonde balinde ukuba umkhusane uwe.
Noko ke, ngezizathu ezahlukahlukeneyo, kuquka nokuhambela phambili okuphawulekayo kwezonyango nokhuseleko kwinkulungwane yama-20, ixesha “abadlali” abalichitha bengekho eqongeni ebudeni “becandelo lesithathu” liye landa ngeminyaka engama-25. Uninzi alonelisekanga ngumhlala-phantsi okhawulezayo. Inani lezi ngwevu zifuna ukuba izinto ziguqulwe.
Igalelo Elikhulu
Ingcamango esasazekileyo yokuba inkoliso yabantu abakhulileyo ixhomekeke kwabanye asiyonyaniso nje kwaphela. IThe New York Times Magazine yavakalisa ukuba eUnited States, ‘inkoliso yabantu abakhulileyo iyazenzela izinto, iyakwazi ukuthenga izinto ezithile yaye inezinto ezininzi kunezibini eziselula kwaye izazi ngezentlalo ziyaliqonda igalelo abanalo abantu abakhulileyo abanezinto zabo.’ UPhilip Kotler, unjingalwazi wezorhwebo kwiYunivesithi yoMntla-ntshona eUnited States, wahlomla ngalo mbandela. Wathi: “Kungekudala abarhwebi baza kubona ukuba abathengi abanemveliso ngabathengi abaneminyaka engama-55 nangaphezulu ubudala.”
Igalelo labantu abakhulileyo abahlaziyekileyo lingaphezulu kunempembelelo nje yomzuzwana. IThe Sunday Telegraph yaseSydney yathi eOstreliya “ngoku ngoomakhulu abenza isiqingatha somsebenzi wokunyamekela abazukulwana, yaye ibhinqa elinye kwamathathu kulawo asebenzayo linomakhulu onyamekela abantwana xa lona lisemsebenzini.”
Kwiindawo ezifana nesixeko saseFransi iTroyes, ubulumko obumangalisayo babantu abadala bugqalwa njengomthombo oxabisekileyo. Kufunxwa ngamandla kobu bulumko xa abantu abadala besetyenziswa emva kweeyure zesikolo ukufundisa abantwana ubugcisa obufana nokuchwela, ukwenza iglasi, ukusika amatye, ukwakha kunye nokufaka imibhobho yamanzi. Ukongezelela ekufundiseni, abantu abakhulileyo nabo bayathontelana ukuya esikolweni ukuze bafunde ubugcisa obahlukahlukeneyo.
Ngokutsho kweThe UNESCO Courier kaJanuwari 1999, “uMbutho weeYunivesithi Zabantu Abakhulileyo Ehlabathini Lonke, mbutho lowo osekelwe eParis uthi kukho iiyunivesithi zabantu abakhulileyo ezingaphezu kwe-1 700 ehlabathini lonke.” Ngokuphathelele ezi yunivesithi, lo lindixesha wenza le ngxelo: “Nangona indlela ezisebenza ngayo nolawulo lwazo yahluke kakhulu kwilizwe ngalinye, iiyunivesithi zabantu abakhulileyo zisoloko zifana ngomnqweno wazo wokunceda abantu abakhulileyo babe nendima epheleleyo kwimicimbi yamasiko nentlalo yoluntu.” Elinye lamaziko anjalo eJapan lathi linabafundi abangama-2 500!
UAlexandre Kalache, inkokeli yeqela leNtlangano Yenkqubo Yezempilo Yehlabathi Yokwaluphala uthi: “Lilonke igalelo labantu abakhulileyo kwiintsapho nakuluntu ngokubanzi likhulu kakhulu, nangona kunzima ukulichaza ngomlinganiselo othile kuba inxalenye enkulu yalo ayihlawulwa.” Uthi: “Amazwe . . . akamele agqale abantu abaluphalayo njengengxaki kodwa amele abagqale njengesicombululo kwiingxaki zawo . . . , kodwa okona kuphambili kukuba amele abagqale njengomthombo omele usetyenziswe.”
Yinyaniso engenakukhanyelwa ukuba, ukunandipha iminyaka yethu yokukhula kunokuchatshazelwa ziimbono nekhethe labanye, kodwa ngomlinganiselo omkhulu, kugqitywa sisimo sengqondo sethu ngobomi. Yintoni onokuyenza ukuze uhlale uhlaziyekile, emzimbeni nasenyameni, nangona umzimba wakho usaluphala? Nceda ufunde ibhokisi ekwiphepha 16 nele 17, uze uphawule oko abanye abakhulileyo abathi yimfihlelo yabo yokuhlala behlaziyekile yaye benandipha ubomi.
Zabalazela Ukuhlala Uhlaziyekile Ebomini
Uya kuphawula ukuba uphawu olubalaseleyo labo bakhulileyo bahlaziyekileyo kukuhlala benocwangciso lokwenza umsebenzi obonakalayo—nokuba ngumsebenzi wokuziphilisa okanye kukuba litsha-ntliziyo. Kwakhona benza umthambo rhoqo, basoloko benomdla kubantu abaneminyaka eyahlukahlukeneyo, baze banelise iimfuno zabo zokomoya ezingundoqo. Njengoko usenokuphawula, ezi mfihlelo zobomi obuhlaziyayo nobonwabisayo ziya kuba yingenelo kokubini kwabaselula nakwabadala ngokufanayo.
Okwangoku, inyaniso engathandekiyo kukuba nangoku njengoko ufunda eli nqaku, nawe uyakhula. (INtshumayeli 12:1) Noko ke, ngobulumko uya kunikela ingqalelo kwisilumkiso seBulletin of the World Health Organization esithi: “Njengoko ukuba sempilweni kubangela ukuba uqhubeke usenza izinto, ukuqhubeka usenza izinto kuko okunokukugcina usempilweni.”
[Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 16, 17]
Bahlala Bexakekile Yaye Bayakuvuyela Ukuphila
◼ EMZANTSI AFRIKA: UPiet Wentzel, oneminyaka engama-77 ubudala, ngumsebenzi wokuzithandela wexesha elizeleyo.
“Ndiyazi ukuba ukuze ndihlale ndisempilweni entle ngokwasemzimbeni, kubalulekile ukuba ndenze umthambo rhoqo. Kule minyaka iliqela idluleyo, ndiye ndanyamekela isitiya sam esincinane. Kuba ngathi asindim emva komthambo ololo hlobo. Ukuze ndenze okuninzi, ndiye ndazama ukukhuthazwa ngulo mgaqo, ukuzilazila lisela lexesha nothi amangomso asa esihogweni.”
[Umfanekiso]
“Ndiyakuqonda ukubaluleka komthambo ngokuthe rhoqo.”—Piet
◼ EJAPAN: UYoshiharu Shiozaki, oneminyaka engama-73 ubudala, usebenza njengomthengisi wezindlu.
“Ndinoxinezeleko lwegazi oluphezulu, nesifo sikaMeniere. Ndisebenzisa ibhayisekile ukusuka emzini wam ukuya eofisini iintsuku ezine ngeveki; umgama oziikhilomitha ezili-12 ukuya nokubuya. Lo ngumthambo olungileyo, awuwutsalisi nzima umqolo wam kodwa uqinisa izihlunu zemilenze. Ndizama ukuhlala ndinoxolo nabanye, kuquka nabamelwane. Ndizama ukuba ndingakhangeli iimpazamo neentsilelo zabanye. Ndiye ndaphawula ukuba abantu basabela ngokukhawuleza xa benconywa kunaxa begxekwa.”
[Umfanekiso]
“Ndizama ukuba ndingakhangeli iimpazamo zabanye.”—Yoshiharu
◼ EFRANSI: ULéone Chalony, oneminyaka engama-84 ubudala, ngumhambisi wevangeli wexesha elizeleyo.
“Xa ndandithabatha umhlala-phantsi ngowe-1982, kwakunzima kuba ndandiwuthanda umsebenzi wam njengomlungisi weenwele. Ndandingenambopheleleko, ngoko ndaba nguvulindlela, njengoko abahambisi bevangeli bexesha elizeleyo bamaNgqina kaYehova bebizwa njalo. Ukuba nezifundo zeBhayibhile ezininzi nabantu abanomdla kuye kwandinceda ndahlala ndihlaziyekile engqondweni. Andinayo inqwelo-mafutha, ngoko ndihamba gqitha. Oku kundigcina ndisempilweni.”
[Umfanekiso]
“Ukuba nezifundo zeBhayibhile ezininzi kundenza ndihlale ndihlaziyekile engqondweni.”—Léone
◼ EBRAZIL: UFrancisco Lapastina, oneminyaka engama-78 ubudala, ngumsebenzi wokuzithandela wexesha elizeleyo.
“Andisoloko ndikhathazeka xa ubani endenza buhlungu okanye engandihoyi. Ndiye ndicinge ukuba loo mntu uxinezelekile yaye uneengxaki zakhe. Sonke sinazo iintsuku esingathandi ukuthetha ngazo. Ndizama ukungafukami ingqumbo ndize ndihlale ndikhumbula ukuba abantu bamele bandinyamezele nam. Oku kuye kwandinceda ndazenzela abahlobo bokwenene abaninzi.”
[Umfanekiso]
“Ndizama ukuba ndingafukami ingqumbo.”—Francisco
◼ EOSTRELIYA: UDon MacLean, oneminyaka engama-77 ubudala, usasebenza iiyure ezingama-40 ngeveki.
“Emva kweminyaka emine kwenziwe utyando lokuxokomezela imithambo entliziyweni yam, ndiqhubeka ndisempilweni entle. Andikhange ndilujonge olo tyando njengento ebangela ukuba ndingabi nakuzenzela nto ebomini. Ndiyaqhubeka ndihamba-hamba yonke imihla, njengoko bendihlala ndisenza minyaka le. Xa ndandiselula yaye ndibona abanye besaluphala ngaphambi kwexesha, ndandisoloko ndizixelela ukuba andisokuze ndikuvumele oku kwenzeke kum. Ndiyakunandipha kakhulu ukwazi abantu nokuqalisa incoko. Ukuba senza izinto zokomoya zibe yinxalenye yobomi bethu, ngoko siya kunandipha oko kuchazwe kwiNdumiso 103:5 ethi: ‘[UYehova] wanelisa ixesha lakho lokudla ubomi ngokulungileyo; ubutsha bakho bumana buzihlaziya kanye njengobo bokhozi.’”
[Umfanekiso]
“Ungaluphali ngaphambi kwexesha.”—Don
◼ EJAPAN: UChiyoko Chonan, oneminyaka engama-68 ubudala, ngumhambisi wevangeli wexesha elizeleyo.
“Oyena ndoqo wokuhlala usempilweni kukuphepha ukuba noxinezeleko nokudinwa. Ndizama ukuba ndingazikhathazi kakhulu ngezinto yaye ndifumanisa ukuba ukwenza izinto ezintsha rhoqo kuyandinceda. Kutshanje ndiye ndafunda ukusebenzisa isixhobo sokubala (abacus) ukuze ndihlaziye iminwe nengqondo yam. Ndicinga ukuba kuhle ukuqalisa izinto ezintsha.”
[Umfanekiso]
“Ndicinga ukuba kuhle ukuqalisa izinto ezintsha.”—Chiyoko
◼ EFRANSI: UJoseph Kerdudo, oneminyaka engama-73 ubudala, ngumsebenzi wokuzithandela wexesha elizeleyo.
“Indlela ebalulekileyo yokwaluphala kakuhle kukuhlala uhlaziyekile ixesha elide kangangoko unako. Ukusebenza kubangela ukuba waneliseke, yaye kufuneka unikele ingqalelo koko ukutyayo uze wenze uhlengahlengiso olufanelekileyo. Ndicinga ukuba xa ubomi bunenjongo, bukwenza ube nomahluko. Ndicinga ukuba imeko yethu yokomoya ibalulekile kakhulu ukuze isincede sihlale sisempilweni. Ngaphambi kokuba ndibe ngomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova, ndandingakwazi ukwenza izigqibo yaye ndandigxeka yonke into. Ukwazi iinyaniso zeBhayibhile ngamandla akhethekileyo anika ubani ukomelela kwengqondo ukuze akwazi ukujamelana neemeko ezahlukahlukeneyo.”
[Umfanekiso]
“Imeko yethu yokomoya ibaluleke gqitha.”—Joseph