Old is Gold

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

Old is gold is a popular belief that exists on our tongue all the time. The thing which we don’t value has put more value in our life or the thing which we have thrown away in the past would be much essential in the present and future.

I heard that word at first when I studied bachelor level before 20 years. It has been used in education field these days but the use of it is much wide or broad. I saw it in the collection of old questions for the examinees so that they can prepare for the examination. It helps students to be used to for the examination to secure good marks or they shouldn’t be unaware about the style of questions and marking scheme. Or it has made them easy to be used to with the examination though they haven’t seen marking scheme of the course. It provides us the sense that old is gold or it has helped students greatly with the old record of questions or experiences.

Certainly the question comes if old is gold what is young then. Is it silver or diamond? The context can be much debatable or there may be unending processes of discussion for that. It would be better to posit them on both of silver and diamond. The experience of the young can be silver if we evaluate it in relation to the system the old have established. Or the children can’t fit with the old norms and traditions so they have proved themselves as raw in front of old people. It means that their knowledge is not so systematic or immature in comparison to old people. It may not fit to so the system what old people have established. The children should have learnt from experiments, practices, experiences, observation and so on. They do various activities which with the purpose or process of learning. In this sense, it may be silver which costs less.

On the other hand, their knowledge can be diamond as they have shown the originality of knowledge of mankind. They presented such experiments innocently which is the real fact of human life. They have been fit with the quotation of William Wordsworth “The Child is Father of the Man”. If we have taken it from children’s perspective, they have done it with their effort that proves some sorts of innocent maturity which is original. Their mind is full of questions so they are always inquisitive of learning something; though they have been scolded by seniors they have been continuing their activities irrespective of the threats. If we take it positively we can call it as diamond. Or the elders who have learnt from the experiences in their life would have done the same like the children. Hence childhood age is known as the source of knowledge to them though the activities of children have been blamed. The experience, in this sense, can be considered as diamond. Ultimately, it would be helpful for the society and the nation as it enhances knowledge to us. It also proves that learning is never ending process.

The learning of children can be silver or diamond whereas the learning of adult is gold as I have already told old is gold. Adult learning is a kind of learning process from two sides of being and becoming. Being is the process of maturity in which adult people have got sufficient knowledge till the time they have experienced. It is becoming as they have been learning till the end of their life. Being is mature and becoming is process of maturity and both of them have been applicable in the process of learning of adults. The knowledge what they have got is much valuable which is full of experiences the stories of success and failure. Their knowledge is oriented towards behavioral or practical which is much significant in the process of learning. Their stories, histories, experiences, activities, social interactions, life processes have helped them to learn many things in the life. They would be able to do work with the examples they have been facing in the life which brings maturity in the work. That can be a good example of us if we apply them in our life. Or we can get valuable result with the things what we have learnt from them. For example children and old people have established a system in their home and society. The young people have thought that they have been caring old and children but they are unaware about the lesson they have got. If there are no children and old people, the society would be out of system. Neither should they stay in home nor should they follow the household chores; rather they would be free of all sorts of burden and they would have realized it when they are old. It’s easy to complain old and children but the lesson has been ignored deliberately like the old clothes which is useful at least wiping the floor.

Thus adult learning or experience is important and it should have been given value in our context as it has produced positive outcome in our life. There can be positive and negative aspects of experiences: in which we can take the positive aspects and ignore or improve the negative aspects. We should have learnt positive things which helps us to continue the process whereas negative things can be a lesson that we shouldn’t repeat such mistakes in the future. Thus the adult experiences have contained gold in it but we should know how to dig the mine. We can earn more with the knowledge from them so they help us in various respects as they are the mine of gold. The gold has got mid-value in relation to silver and diamond; neither is it expensive like diamond nor is cheap like silver. Diamond is too much expensive and rare whereas gold is moderate and available to all. Silver is cheap and available to all which is neither valuable nor value less in comparison to the gold and diamond. The diamond is precious which is out of the rich of most of the people unlike the gold.

The adults share gold to the young generation whether they would be able to grasp or not would be a question. The young should effort to get it with the knowledge and experiences to win the lottery of gold. They have produced gold which is often ignored in the world context as we have been aware with the example that the adult learning had got value only after 1980s decade in the world. It has been institutionalized only after that in the developed countries not still valued in the developing countries. Or it has been taken as a deliberate process of age and time.

Adults have been learning much in their life which we can compare with a sal tree. The sal tree seems same like other trees which is much strong than others. Or we call that as agrakh, the tree which is strong and takes much time to grow up and last long. The knowledge of old is also same like sal tree which is known as the old, strong, reliable, and so on. Old experiences contain many facts with strong evidences and practical value which is like gold. We should value them to make our work fruitful and reliable as their knowledge is ripe with experiences.

They have faced many things in their life along with their personal, family and social experiences which have been set in their mind. Various pros and cons in the life teach them the lessons which are real gold. The golden experience and knowledge of the old people has greatly helped the young people to make their life more valuable and full of prosperity. Their lessons are quite helpful to solve the burning issues of the present context in which we are raw on such issues. As we don’t do mistakes if we have taken help or advice from the aged people who have already experienced it. It saves our time and effort; on the other hand, we have been gained from their experiences which would have been got without any price. If we haven’t used it, it will have gone waste like the water of river. If we can utilize we will be rich neither it will harm us sinking in it.

Finally, adult learning has many, many positive and negative aspects but they can be a good lesson for us from all respects. We have been ignoring the gold that is available for us without any price. Hence we should utilize it for the betterment of our life.