Even as they look at the collection, pride gives way to dejection and loneliness. Then they realise the transient nature of power and fame, and are overcome by what has been termed the Ozymandias complex — the title of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem that has now become a metaphor for the ‘fleeting nature of power, mortality, and achievements’— they lapse into deep self-pity. Which is one of the reasons to declutter, to part with mementoes and photographs and move on.
As we enter the New Year, it is time to help our parents to resolve this and ask them, instead, to lend a helping hand to the needy, spend time with young children sharing their life’s learnings with them, and make themselves useful members of society. This will not only keep them busy but will also impart more satisfaction and joy. They need not echo Ozymandias and exclaim, ‘Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!’ Instead, let their actions speak for themselves and, who knows, it might inspire others also to join in. Every little effort counts.
