Imibono Eshintshayo Mayelana Nokuguga
USUKE usungakanani uma usugugile? Kubonakala sengathi impendulo ixhomeke ekutheni ubuza bani. Abeve eshumini nambili noma ubani oneminyaka engaphezu kuka-25 bangamfaka kulesi sigaba.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, abahlabeleli bemidlalo yaseshashalazini bafinyelela iqophelo eliphezulu lekhono labo sebebadala. Lapho ukhuluma ngalabo abazimisele ukuthuthuka kwezemisebenzi, umbiko wephephandaba lase-Australia i-Sun-Herald uthi: “Iqiniso namuhla liwukuthi uma ungakabi nesikhundla lapho usuneminyaka engu-40 ubudala, awusoze waba naso.”
Imibono Evamile
Abanye bangase bacabange ukuthi abantu asebekhulile bathambekele ekwenzeni izingozi, bathatha kancane ekufundeni izinto nokuthi bawohloka ngokushesha ngokomzimba. Ingabe kunengqondo ukucabanga ngaleyo ndlela? Ngokwezibalo ze-World Health Organization, kulo lonke elaseYurophu, “ingozi yomgwaqo eyodwa kwezintathu ezibulala abantu ihilela abantu abangaphansi kweminyaka engu-25 ubudala.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuwohloka ngokushesha ngokomzimba kwenzeka phakathi kweminyaka engu-30 nengu-40 ubudala, futhi abukho ubufakazi bokuthi ukukhalipha kwengqondo yomuntu ophilile kuyancipha njengoba ekhula.
Kuthiwani ngombono wokuthi abantu asebekhulile bayiziguli? “Inganekwane evamile iwukuthi ukuguga nokugula kuyahambisana,” kusho i-Medical Journal of Australia. Iqiniso liwukuthi abantu abaningi asebekhulile bayimiqemane futhi abazibheki njengabagugile. Abanye bazizwa njengelungu lesigele saseMelika uBernard Baruch, elathi: “Kimina umuntu usuke esegugile uma njalo emdala kunami ngeminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu.”
Kungani-ke, abantu asebekhulile bevame ukucwaswa, futhi ngezinye izikhathi, babandlululwe ngokuqondile? Impendulo itholakala ngokuyinhloko emibonweni ekhona mayelana nokuguga.
Imibono Mayelana Nokuguga
“AmaMelika asangene ngentsha futhi asesonte umbono wemithombo yezindaba ngabantu asebekhulile,” kusho uMax Frankel kuyi-New York Times Magazine. Uyakhononda: “Abantu asebekhulile sebekhishwe ngokuphelele ebhizinisini lemithombo yezindaba.” Lokhu kungase kuchaze indida yanamuhla eyaphawulwa yi-UNESCO Courier: “Awukho . . . umphakathi oye wabenzela lukhulu kangaka asebekhulile bawo. Bayazuza esivikelweni sezomnotho nezenhlalo, kodwa umbono umphakathi onawo ngabo uphambene ngokuphelele.”
Ngisho nabezokwelapha banawo lo mkhuba wokucwasa. Ngokwe-Medical Journal of Australia: “Odokotela abaningi, kanye nomphakathi uwonke, bakholelwa ukuthi kusuke sekwephuze kakhulu ukuba abantu abevile eminyakeni engu-65 bangagonyelwa izifo. . . . Lo mbono ophambene . . . uye wabangela ukuba abantu asebekhulile bangafakwa ocwaningweni oluningi olubalulekile.”
Wona lo magazini ofanayo uthi: “Umbono ophambene ngabantu asebekhulile, ukubabiza ngokuthi ‘izintothololo’, kungase kusetshenziswe njengezaba zokubagodlela ukunakekela okuhle kwezokwelapha. Izinkinga eziningi ezivamile, kodwa ezincane, njengokufiphala kwamehlo nekhono lokuzwa azishaywa mkhuba noma zithathwa njengengxenye evamile yokuguga. . . . Ukushintsha kwesimo sengqondo ngabantu asebekhulile kubalulekile ukuze kube nohlelo oluphumelelayo lokunqanda lezo zinkinga.”
Iphephabhuku lezokwelapha laseBrithani i-Lancet liyatusa: “Mhlawumbe sekuyisikhathi sokuhlaziya ngokucophelela incazelo engokwesiko yokuthi kuyini ngempela ukuguga, okungenani emazweni asethuthukile.” Kungani kubalulekile lokhu? Leli phephabhuku liyachaza: “Incazelo ehlukile ingase isuse izibikezelo ezidumazayo, ezingakhi nezimbi ezivame ukusetshenziselwa ukusakaza ukucwaswa ‘kwegagasi’ labantu asebekhulile abasebenzisa ‘indathane’ yezinto zempilo eziyindlala.”
Igagasi Lezimpunga
Iqiniso liwukuthi izimpunga ziyanda—futhi eqinisweni zanda njengegagasi. I-UNESCO Courier iyabika: “Emhlabeni wonke, inani labantu abaneminyaka engu-65 nangaphezulu liyobe seliphindeke kane phakathi kuka-1955 no-2025, futhi isilinganiso senani labo kuwo wonke umphakathi siyobe sesiphindeke kabili.”
Inani labantu asebekhulile eNdiya kakade selilikhulu kunengqikithi yabo bonke abantu baseFrance. Kanti kuthiwa e-United States, izigidi ezingu-76 zalabo okuthiwa isizukulwane sokuchuma kwezingane—labo abazalwa phakathi neminyaka engu-18 kusukela ngemva kweMpi Yezwe II—ziyothatha umhlalaphansi phakathi neminyaka engamashumi amahlanu ezayo. Nakuba lokhu kuthambekela ngabantu abagugayo emhlabeni kubangela ukukhathazeka kosomnotho abaningi nezisebenzi zezokwelapha, kwenza neminye imiqondo esinayo ngokuphathelene nokuguga ingabazise.
Ukushintsha Isimo
Abanye bangase baqhathanise ukuphila nomdlalo onezigcawu ezintathu. Kulindeleke ukuba isigcawu sokuqala sigcizelele ubungqabavu bobusha nemfundo. Imithwalo yemfanelo yokunakekela umkhaya kanye nezingcindezi ezingapheli zomsebenzi ziyingxenye yesigcawu sesibili. Esigcawini sesithathu, abadlali bakhuthazwa ukuba bahoxe bangaveleli emphakathini bese belindela usuku lokufa.
Nokho, ngenxa yezizathu ezihlukahlukene, kuhlanganise nentuthuko enkulu ekunakekelweni kwempilo nenhlanzeko phakathi nekhulu lama-20, isikhathi “abadlali” abasichitha bengekho enkundleni phakathi “nesigcawu sesithathu” siye sanda ngeminyaka efinyelela kwengu-25. Abaningi abasakujabuleli ukuthatha umhlalaphansi bangenzi lutho. Inani elandayo lalaba bantu abadala abamatasa selifuna ukuba kushintshwe isimo.
Ukubamba Iqhaza Elikhulu
Umbono owandile wokuthi abantu abaningi asebekhulile bathembele kwabanye awulona iqiniso. I-New York Times Magazine yabika ukuthi e-United States, “iningi labantu asebekhulile lingabathengi abazimele, abaphila kahle, abanempahla eningi kunemibhangqwana emisha . . . [nokuthi] izazi zezokuhlalisana kwabantu ziphawula ukuthi kuneqembu elivelayo elinamandla . . . labantu asebekhulile abacebile.” UPhilip Kotler, uprofesa wezokuhweba eNorthwestern University e-United States, waveza umbono wakhe ngale ndaba. Wathi: “Maduzane abahwebi sebezobona ukuthi iqembu elibafakela imali eningi kwezebhizinisi abathengi abacebile abaneminyaka engu-55 nangaphezulu.”
Ingxenye efezwa abantu asebekhulile abamatasa idlulela ngalé kwethonya lezimali. I-Sunday Telegraph yaseSydney yaphawula ukuthi e-Australia “ogogo sebenakekela isigamu sazo zonke izingane ezinabazali abasebenzayo, kanti abesifazane abangaphezu kwengxenye yesithathu abasebenzayo banogogo abanakekela izingane zabo lapho besemsebenzini.”
Ezindaweni ezinjengedolobha laseFrance, iTroyes, ukuhlakanipha asebekhulile abakuqongelele kubhekwa njengomthombo oyigugu. Lokhu kuhlakanipha kuyasetshenziswa lapho asebekhulile besetshenziswa ngemva kwesikole ukuze bafundise izingane amakhono anjengokubaza, ukwenza ingilazi, ukuqopha amatshe, ukwakha nokunakekela amapayipi. Ngaphandle kokufundisa, asebekhulile baya nasesikoleni ngobuningi ukuze bazuze amakhono ahlukahlukene.
Ngokwe-UNESCO Courier ka-January 1999, “i-International Association of Universities of the Third Age ezinze eParis” ithi “kunamayunivesithi angaphezu kuka-1 700 abantu asebekhulile emhlabeni wonke.” Ngokuphathelene nala mayunivesithi, lo magazini uyabika: “Nakuba ukuhlelwa nokuphathwa kwawo kuhlukahluka kakhulu kuye ngamazwe, amayunivesithi asebekhulile ngokuvamile anesifiso esifanayo sokusiza asebekhulile ukuba babe nendima egcwele ekuphileni okungokwesiko nasemphakathini.” Kubikwa ukuthi esinye isikole esinjalo eJapane sinabafundi abangu-2 500!
“Ibanzi indima efezwa yibo bonke abantu asebekhulile emikhayeni yabo nasemphakathini, nakuba kunzima ukuyisho ngokuqondile ngoba ayinakubalwa ngobuningi bayo,” kusho u-Alexandre Kalache, umholi we-Ageing and Health Programme ye-World Health Organization. Uthi: “Amazwe . . . akufanele abheke asebekhulile bawo njengenkinga kodwa njengekhambi lezinkinga ezingase zivele . . . , ababheke ngokuyinhloko njengomthombo okufanele usetshenziswe.”
Ngokuqinisekile, ikhono lethu lokujabulela iminyaka yokukhula lingathonywa yimibono nokucwasa kwabanye, kodwa ngokwezinga elikhulu, linqunywa nayisimo sethu sengqondo ngokuphila. Yini wena ongayenza ukuze uhlale unomdlandla, ngokwengqondo nangokomzimba, ngisho noma umzimba wakho usukhulile? Siza ufunde ibhokisi elisemakhasini 12 no-13, uphawule ukuthi abathile asebekhulile bathi iyini imfihlo yabo yokuhlala bematasa futhi bejabulela ukuphila.
Lwela Ukulondoloza Ugqozi Lokuphila
Uzoqaphela ukuthi isici esivelele kulaba bantu asebekhulile abanomdlandla ukuthi balondoloza isimiso somsebenzi esinenjongo—kungaba umsebenzi wokuziphilisa noma ukuba yizisebenzi zokuzithandela. Bavivinya umzimba njalo, banesithakazelo esikhulu kubantu babo bonke ubudala futhi banelisa izidingo zabo ezingokomoya eziyisisekelo. Njengoba ungase uqaphele, lezi zimfihlo zokuphila okujabulisayo nokumatasa zingazuzisa abasha nabadala ngokufanayo.
Okwamanje, iqiniso elibuhlungu liwukuthi njengoba ufunda lesi sihloko, nawe uyakhula. (UmShumayeli 12:1) Nokho, ngokuhlakanipha uzolalela okwashiwo i-Bulletin of the World Health Organization: “Njengoba impilo ilondoloza umdlandla, ukuphila okunomdlandla okuvula ithuba lokuba umqemane.”
[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 12, 13]
Bahlala Bematasa Futhi Bajabulela Ukuphila
◼ ENINGIZIMU AFRIKA: UPiet Wentzel, oneminyaka engu-77 ubudala, uyisisebenzi sokuzithandela sesikhathi esigcwele.
“Ngiyaqaphela ukuthi kubalulekile ukuvivinya umzimba njalo ukuze ngihlale ngiphilile. Sekuyiminyaka embalwa manje nginesivande esincane engisinakekelayo. Ngizizwa ngiqabulekile ngemva kokuzivivinya okunjalo. Ukuze ngifeze okuthé xaxa, ngiye ngazama ukushukunyiswa yisimiso esithi, ‘Ukunqikaza kuyisela lesikhathi; ukuzindela kuwuzakwabo.’”
[Isithombe]
“Ngiyaqaphela ukuthi kubalulekile ukuvivinya umzimba njalo.”—UPiet
◼ EJAPANE: UYoshiharu Shiozaki, oneminyaka engu-73 ubudala, ungumxhumanisi wokudayiswa kwezindawo.
“Nginesifo sokuqaqanjelwa yiqolo, umfutho ophakeme wegazi nesifo i-Meniere’s. Ngihamba ngebhayisekili ngisuka ekhaya ngiye emsebenzini izinsuku ezine ngesonto; ukuya nokubuya kungamakhilomitha angu-12. Lokhu kuyindlela enhle yokuzivivinya, ngoba ayililimazi iqolo lami kodwa iqinisa imisipha yemilenze. Ngizama ukulondoloza ukuthula nabanye, kuhlanganise nomakhelwane. Ngizama ukuba ngingafuni ukushiyeka namaphutha abanye. Ngiye ngaqaphela ukuthi abantu basabela ngokushesha uma bekhuthazwa kunalapho begxekwa.”
[Isithombe]
“Ngizama ukuba ngingafuni ukushiyeka kwabanye.”—UYoshiharu
◼ EFRANCE: ULéone Chalony, oneminyaka engu-84 ubudala, ungumshumayeli wesikhathi esigcwele.
“Lapho ngithatha umhlalaphansi ngo-1982, kwakunzima ngoba ngangiwuthanda umsebenzi wami njengomlungisi wezinwele. Ngangingenazibopho, ngakho ngaba yiphayona, njengoba bebizwa kanjalo abashumayeli besikhathi esigcwele abangoFakazi BakaJehova. Ukuqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli eziningi nabantu abathakazelayo kuye kwangisiza ukuba ngihlale ngiphapheme ngokwengqondo. Anginayo imoto, ngakho ngihamba kakhulu. Lokho kungigcina ngiphila.”
[Isithombe]
“Ukuqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli eziningi kungigcina ngiphapheme ngokwengqondo.”—ULéone
◼ EBRAZIL: UFrancisco Lapastina, oneminyaka engu-78 ubudala, uyisisebenzi sokuzithandela sesikhathi esigcwele.
“Angivamile ukucasuka lapho othile engizwisa ubuhlungu noma engangishayi mkhuba. Ngivele ngiphethe ngokuthi kungenzeka lowo muntu ucindezelekile futhi unezinkinga. Sonke kunezinsuku lapho singabi nabo ubungane. Ngizama ukungawabambi amagqubu futhi ngikhumbule ukuthi abantu kufanele bangibekezelele. Lokhu kuye kwangisiza ukuba ngizakhele abangane abaningi beqiniso.”
[Isithombe]
“Ngizama ukungawabambi amagqubu.”—UFrancisco
◼ E-AUSTRALIA: UDon MacLean, oneminyaka engu-77 ubudala, usasebenza amahora angu-40 ngesonto.
“Ngemva kweminyaka emine ngihlinzwe inhliziyo kuxhunyelelwa imithambo, ngisewumqemane. Lokhu kuhlinzwa angizange ngikubheke njengesici esingikhubaza unomphela. Ngisaqhubeka ngihambahamba nsuku zonke, njengoba sekuyiminyaka eminingi ngikwenza. Lapho ngisemncane futhi ngibona abanye beguga ngaphambi kwesikhathi, nganquma lapho ukuthi angisoze ngasivumela isimo sengqondo esinjalo. Ngijabula ngempela ngokwazi abantu nokuxoxa nabo. Uma sigxila ezintweni ezingokomoya ekuphileni kwethu, khona-ke siyobona lokho okuchazwe kumaHubo 103:5: ‘[UJehova] usuthisa ukulangazela kwakho ngokuhle, ubusha bakho bubuyiswe njengokhozi.’”
[Isithombe]
“Ungagugi ngaphambi kwesikhathi esifanele.”—UDon
◼ EJAPANE: UChiyoko Chonan, oneminyaka engu-68 ubudala, ungumshumayeli wesikhathi esigcwele.
“Isihluthulelo sokulondoloza impilo enhle ukugwema izingcindezi nokutubeka komzimba. Ngizama ukungazikhathazi ngokweqile ngezinto futhi ngiye ngathola ukuthi ukushintsha izinto engizenzayo ngezikhathi ezithile kuyangisiza. Muva nje ngiqale ukufunda i-abacus ukuze ngivivinye iminwe nengqondo yami. Ngicabanga ukuthi kuhle ukuqala izinto ezintsha.”
[Isithombe]
“Ngicabanga ukuthi kuhle ukuqala izinto ezintsha.”—UChiyoko
◼ EFRANCE: UJoseph Kerdudo, oneminyaka engu-73 ubudala, uyisisebenzi sokuzithandela sesikhathi esigcwele.
“Indlela ebalulekile yokuguga ngesizotha ukuhlala umatasa isikhathi eside ngangokunokwenzeka. Ukusebenza kuletha ukwaneliseka, futhi kufanele unake ukudla okudlayo bese wenza ushintsho oludingekayo. Ngicabanga ukuthi uma ukuphila kunenjongo, kuyakuguqula. Ngicabanga ukuthi ingokomoya libalulekile ekusisizeni ukuba sihlale siyimiqemane. Ngaphambi kokuba ngibe omunye woFakazi BakaJehova, ngangimanqikanqika kakhulu futhi ngingenathemba. Ukwazi amaqiniso eBhayibheli kungamandla angaphezu kwavamile anikeza umuntu amandla engqondo okubhekana nezimo ezihlukahlukene.”
[Isithombe]
“Ingokomoya libaluleke kakhulu.”—UJoseph