The Go-getter - Mr Ramachandran - Inspirational and funny senior

 

When the going gets tough, the tough get going... is a phrase that we are all familiar with. Tough times touch everyone's lives. This is when we realise how transient 'security' is and how fast our ideas of 'stability' and 'normality' can be gone.  This is usually the period when we see a huge difference in a person's capacity to adapt and face what's happening. There are some who have real difficulties getting out of the spiral of negativity and despair. Some who prefer to avoid facing the situation, procrastinate when it comes to taking action and while this might bring them short-term relief , it also could bring long-term, serious issues.  And then there are the tough ones, people who seem to be able to bounce back from, hold on throughout and literally from an outsider's point of view thrive on their journeys of change.

One such individual amongst the several I have been lucky to get in touch with recently is Mr Ramachandran, a Mumbai resident who will be turning 80 this year.

When one speaks and interacts with Mr. Ramachandran, the first thing that is evident is that he's someone who's happy and funny. Within minutes, there will be one joke and maybe another being thrown at you and a giggle will follow. I think in the first five minutes of talking to him he said, "There is no point cribbing about life". Hearing that, I was immediately eager to hear his story.

Though he was always an active person, playing tennis and badminton on and off while younger, Mr Ramachandran had had a heart bypass surgery at the age of 64 in 2009. Luckily for him he had been operated on by a very skilled surgeon Dr. Ramakant Panda at Asian Heart, a premier hospital in Bandra, Mumbai. The set up at the hospital ensured that post surgery, the recovering patients were taught to workout correctly with the goal of gaining cardiovascular strength under medical supervision. At this daily exercise session Mr. Ramachandran made several new friends. One of these friends Mr P. Venkataraman started a group called 'Zipper Club' where they continued to meet and exercise outside of the hospital premises.

With these new friends, Mr. Ramachandran grabbed on to the new lease of life that he had been offered and decided then and there he would make the most of it. He started regularly walking, running and eventually participating in the TATA Mumbai Marathon and other such events every year as part of the Zipper club. He regularly visits the Asian Heart Hospital to help the staff members cheer patients and motivate them. When he sees a lady helping her recovering husband move in the corridors, Ramachandran quickly asks the wife to let go of her husband's hand. He then prescribes 40 minutes of brisk walking daily, eating food with reduced oil, taking all the medicines without fail, sleeping well, laughing a lot and looking, if you will, at other women. This obviously gets a reaction from the couple and Ramachandran laughs and adds that since the heart is new, it warrants 'staying away from the wife and adopting a new angle to life'. You got it right, Mr. Ramachandran's humour accompanies him everywhere and always.

Mrs Jayanthi Ramachandran & Mr. Ramachandran

His own wife, Mrs. Jayanthi Ramachandran is the perfect funny Juliet to our hilarious young Romeo. When he had his surgery, she distributed sweets to everyone. People were stunned that she was giving out sweets when the operation was a serious matter of the Heart, pun intended. When questioned, she replied, "Finally we all have proof, he has a heart!" Both of them are a power couple that discovered each other more as friends and partners in Mrs. Ramachandran's words, during the later years of their marriage when they were both more mature. Once the children had grown and responsibilities were behind them, it was then that they really began to know one another. Mrs. Ramachandran takes part in the occasional event and has run officially for 6kms. Their camaraderie and appreciation for each other was unmistakable over the phone, so I guess in real life, it must be even more present. 

Even though Mr. Ramachandran has decided to not run since January 2025, he hasn't given up his strict routine. Though the couple travel every alternate year to visit their children in the States for 10 weeks, he ensures that his routine is not disturbed. He walks 10kms three times a week and at least 5kms the other days when he is there.  When he is back in Mumbai, he remains active for 6 days in the week. He starts his day with a walk and trains 3 days a week with the Zipper Club alongside his friends and Mr. P. Venkataraman who according to Mr. Ramachandran was instrumental in his rebirth. 

A set routine of some consulting work, some social errands, proper rest and daily exercise helps keep him in a pleasant state of mind. Every evening his wife and he play cards for an hour or so before dinner. Isn't that #couplegoals right here? 

I think that Mr. Ramachandran can teach us what a life we can make for ourselves with a robust - even if bordering on risque - sense of humour, a solid mental fortitude, a great partnership and family ties, an active and healthy lifestyle along with good and lasting friendships. At the end of our conversation he confirms that he lives life with no regrets and strives to actively enjoy everything he does. I'm going to try and remember this everytime life gets tough. I aim to always be among the tough ones that get going.

Like this story?

Read these similar posts on Inspirational Seniors here

https://lekhawrites.blogspot.com/2025/04/retirement-reset-reinvent-rebirth.html

https://lekhawrites.blogspot.com/2025/04/inspirational-senior-mr-surendra.html