Tough world: Let's spare a thought for elderly hustlers

Senior citizens wait to receive their stipend under the National Government Cash Transfer Programme in Kisii town in May 2022. [File, Standard]

Hustling is hard and taxing. It’s no wonder most hustlers are young.

They have the energy and aspirations. The elderly may not hustle much because they did that when they were young and outlived it.  

The young often have no skills and central focus; they will try anything. With time, they get a footing in a career or enterprise.

They gain skills and experience. That protects them from hustling as the next generation of hustlers takes over. 

A hawker could graduate into a supplier, less taxing and more predictable. A worker could become a supervisor or mentor.

Such "promotion" lifts those below them and reduces stress. A hustler is like a soldier on the frontline.  

The truth is that many people are not that lucky to escape from hustling. Very few reach the hustling escape velocity.

Do you remember escape velocity when satellites are launched into space? They hustle most of their life without any breakthroughs.

They could be farmers, small-scale business operators or employees with few marketable skills. Could that explain why the prosperity gospel is so popular? 

The entry of new hustlers into the markets reduces the chances of an economic breakthrough.

Think of how new graduates narrow the job market for the existing job seekers. And let’s be blunt, job seekers get into the market faster than job creators. Add a lack of social security like pension, and hustling becomes a reality for the elderly.

It was assumed that having large families would reduce hustling as they would take care of you, which they did in the past.

More children were a form of social security and so was dowry.  Fear of curses and misfortune kept the offspring straight and concerned about their parents. 

Today, traditions have faded and children get their Independent lives earlier. That makes it possible for parents to hustle silently as they grow old.

Efforts like State-sponsored stipends for the elderly could reduce their hustling. In a country with so much joblessness, such stipends make a big difference. Never mind that this money is a lifeline beyond the parents. On these stipends, we should build a welfare society. Capitalism must have a human face.

The elderly deserve to age gracefully for the great job they have done for their country and their children.

Hustling should not be their job; they should be counting sunsets, sunrises, grandchildren, and joyous moments as they reminisce. Are you elderly? Are you hustling or resting?