Joyce Joan Wangui, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
"Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God." This quote by Mary Manin Morrissey is what best describes Simon Waruhiu Mwangi. At 50, Warush, as he is popularly known by his old-time friends, has lived his life to the fullest-and is not done yet!
He subscribes to the old adage that life is short and only you can make the best of it. He believes in doing things today because tomorrow might never come.
Although he believes in living a purposeful life, the seemingly happy man advocates for a balancing act in life. He says that for a man to enjoy his life, he has to do a little bit of this and a little bit of that, albeit in moderation.
“Life is not a rehearsal and we should live it to the fullest,” are his initial words as we begin our interview. I first met Waruhiu at Jaffrey’s sports club, an up market sports and recreation centre in the leafy suburbs of Lavington.
This is 5am. Only a disciplined person can wake up this early to care for a jog. And for a 50 plus man, this is sheer sacrifice. Here are men and women of all ages, trying to keep fit. A keen observation at Simon prompts me to corner him for an interview. The manner in which he is exercising can only be a doctor’s prescription but I am wrong.
“Jogging to me is part of enjoying life,” he says adding that when he is not working, engaging in exercise is his first priority. So why waste his sleep? To him, hitting the treadmill, jogging or walking is the surest way of keeping young and healthy if not a source of therapy. It is at this age when the body starts losing its grip. With no warning, bones start getting weak, muscles become fragile and the pot belly can get bigger. “For a man to get his groove back, he has no choice but to exercise.”
Also in this day and age of modern-day diseases like cancer and diabetes, he believes that exercise is a MUST. Most people ask him why he bothers to exercise at 50, while he should be enjoying his sleep or reading a book. “Because I love doing it,” is his simple answer. He goes on to say that jogging is part of enjoying life. “I like what I feel when I jog or walk or do sit-ups.”
The sports venue breeds socialization and is one place where one can make friends easily, he adds. If one sits in the house because he is embarrassed to mingle with young people at the gym, Waruhiu says loneliness is bound to creep in. “If anything when you hit 50, this is the time to enjoy life because most responsibilities have been reduced. You have a lot of time on your hands to do things that you relished but never had time.”
When it is time to work, give it your best, he says adding that when your head cannot take extra workload, just unwind. “If you feel like painting the town red, paint it dark red and enjoy those moments. If you feel like going on holiday to Europe, do just that,” he says. At 50, he is literally living and loving it and has a lot to show for it. Time has been kind to Simon whose physical features do not quite betray his age, save for the mild white hair on his head.
When you first meet him, you are torn between placing him in the early or mid 40s. He portrays some youthfulness that is enviable, even to the young. He does things that most of his age mates have outgrown. And what’s more, he even listens to Kigeugeu, a popular local hit associated with youngsters. He is not rigid when it comes to modern fashion and this is most evident in his fragrances as well as his dress code.
On a polite day, you will bump into him wearing a Giorgio Armani shirt and a CK jean to match. At 50, when many men would just want to sit and be served, Simon will prepare his own meals with minimal effort. He urges men his age to look for new ways to enjoy life because this is an age when life can get boring.
At an age where many men start worrying about hitting the midlife crisis and not liking it, Waruhiu will hear none of that. Acknowledging that aging is inevitable, he still believes that one can spruce up his life and have fun. “This does not mean acting 20 when you are 50 but enjoying the moments life has endowed on you.” He does not wish to end up an old-grumpy grandfather as he says that even in his sunset years; he will still be enjoying life.
He cautions men to tread carefully when they hit this golden age as life can be overwhelming. “For one, at 50, the children have already finished their education and settling in their own lives. The hustles and bustles of life are much subtler as one prepares for retirement. The house is now quieter save for you and your partner.”
Simon is currently separated but talks of his family with great pride. “When I am with my children, we almost hit the roof with laughter. They refer to me as dot-com daddy for they know I love style,” he admits adding that the social network has not by-passed him. “My laptop keeps me on toes. I have had to learn the new trends of skype, linked-in and the likes.”
He says that he has interacted with so many men who are 50 plus but whose lives revolve around the norm. “I always tell them this is the time to start living and doing things that one dreamt of but never accomplished.” Author Shirley
Price could not have put it better when she noted that whatever your future holds, don’t wait to enjoy your life make the most of and enjoy your 50s because things don’t usually get any better than this. One thing is for sure you are not going to get any younger so go for it!
Interesting job
Waruhiu works in the tourism industry. He co-owns a tour company known as the Africa Bound Safaris. His job involves a lot of travelling as he doubles up as the tour guide to his clients. “In this line of work, you cannot afford to look old and boring. Remember you are marketing your country to foreigners and they need to feel rejuvenated.”
He enjoys his job to the fullest as he says it is part of enjoying life. At fifty, most people would be thinking of retiring or taking it slow but not for him. He explains that this is an age quite vulnerable to life’s pressures and he is lucky to have a job that is diverse.
He has virtually toured all Kenyan sceneries and admits that the country’s breath-taking landscapes and a myriad of wild animals warm his heart. “I always tell men who feel and act old to loosen up a bit. Life is not only about working or being in a confined place, you need to see beyond the nose.”
Men, he says are also adventurous people; so for a man in his 50s and already sulking, he is doing injustice to his life. Perhaps being in the tourism industry is what has boosted Simon’s urge to enjoy life. His job brings with it a cultural diversity that is enviable. “My main clients are Canadians. They have a way of doing things that I find so attractive.
For instance, even the old or those who think they are old will do anything to feel young.” He says when his clients are vacationing in the country; one can hardly differentiate between the old and young. “The grannies engage in childhood games in a bid to feel young and be reminded of yester-years. They feel happy, refreshed and even look young,” explains Waruhiu. He has over the years been motivated by such people and vowed to remain ‘fresh’.
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms-to choose one’s attitudes in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way. Simon’s way of life is pegged to his attitude towards life. At 50, he says is the time to surround yourself with children, for you will never grow old.
“Children are busy bodies who will always engage you in several activities.” To him, living a full life is when he is swinging with the kids, an act many his age would consider childish. When he is not working, he retreats back to his rural home in Nyahururu and attend to his other activities which includes visiting one of the orphanages which he supports. “At my age, I want to do noble things that will change someone, somewhere. This is what living a full life means and it is purposeful when you have touched a child’s life.”
Spontaneous
One minute he is relaxing at home and before you know it, he is driving to Nanyuki. “I love adventure. I cannot sit in the house the whole weekend; such confinement will only lead to loneliness.” He admits that when a man hits 50, certain things suddenly stop making sense. A man may retreat to himself and even neglect his body, including the small details in grooming. “At this age, men are busy thinking of their investments and forget to enjoy the fine things in life.”
On weekends, he enjoys sauna and later mingles with old boys for night reveling. I trailed him at one of his favorite joints along Ngong road. When the latest music is played, he blends old and new dance moves respectively. Revelers stare at this man who never leaves the dance floor. It took me a daunting task to corner him for an interview.
“Well, I love music, it is in my blood. As for dancing, I can bet you I can win a medal,” he boasts. And true to his words, Simon defies age by doing the Michael Jackson moves. Next he is emulating Naija dancers. When not in the club, he will be dancing to his own phone or I-pod music. He says he is a Kikuyu by birth but a Luo by mannerisms. “At 50, most Kikuyu men feel rigid. For many, enjoying life is a waste of money- never mind how much they have. He says this is the time to let your money work for you and not vice versa.
“If I do not do these things now, when will I do them?” he asks. It has not been cast on stone that life ends at 50. This is only the beginning.
"Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God." This quote by Mary Manin Morrissey is what best describes Simon Waruhiu Mwangi. At 50, Warush, as he is popularly known by his old-time friends, has lived his life to the fullest-and is not done yet!
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