The Biological Clock
Men and women were created differently. One can attribute it to god or nature but this remains a fact of biology. Another important point concerns not biology but mental makeup or the psyche involved. The holy books, whether from Islam, Christianity, or Hinduism, not forgetting Buddhism espouse the fact that women are not only different but are also treated differently. Though the lifespan of both species is about the same, the intervening years from birth to death both species have different phases. It concerns the physical structure and also the mental makeup of the species.
Men and women complement each other and yet one has a different perspective of life than the other. This aspect is the fact of aging. Women degenerate faster than men and this is not concerning general health, but the act of procreation. Whereas a woman has a definite lifespan of procreation, no such limitation applies to a man. When I read that a top Hollywood star had a child from a woman less than half his age and he is 82, made me accept that men can if they want remain fit to cohabit and set up a family at any age.
Another aspect is that by nature man is polygamous. This is also seen in the animal world, where male animals tend to be more promiscuous than the female species. Another aspect that needs mention though one can take it with a pinch of salt that the nearest to a man's life is a horse which has similar characteristics of strength and speed.
There has been a news item about the famous Mumbai star of yesteryear Kabir Bedi marrying his longtime girlfriend at the age of 70. The lady in question is 3 years younger than Kabir’s daughter Pooja Bedi, being 42. Age differences are not what I am referring to, but the fact that though 70 Kabir thought it fit to get married. Seeing him fit as a fiddle and handsome as ever, one can conclude that Bedi will do justice to the marriage.
Another man who fits the bill of the theory that horses and men don’t age is Anthony Quinn who had two children with his secretary, Katherine Benvin. namely Antonia Patricia Rose Quinn (born July 23, 1993) and Ryan Nicholas Quinn (born July 5, 1996). Considering that he was born in 1915, would make him a man past 80 when he procreated. He died in 2001.
There are many more examples, but suffice it to say that the Hindu scriptures extoll the virtue of a man who is also a sage. Such men though old never gave up on life and invariably mated with any number of women. Hindu scriptures advocate a relationship with a younger woman as it is the path to rejuvenation
Last Word
One wonders why nature created this imbalance and no religious book or sage has been able to explain this unique phenomenon. In a way, the tale from the Bible of Eve having been created from the rib of Adam (though apocryphal), does have some meaning. It means a woman was meant to be a companion to a man and yet she was not given the same biological cycle. This is an act of nature.
The famous warrior Bishima of the Mahabharata in his ripe age entered combat at the swayamvara of King Draupadi and defeated all the warriors who had come for the swayamvara to claim the hands of 3 princesses named Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika. Though he had won the princesses for his half-brother, the fact is that Bishama who was decades older than all the suitors beat all of them. Thus for a man, age is just a number and by diligent conduct and exercise coupled with meditation and prayers, the biological clock can be kept alive till the last days for a man.
The negative aspect
There are many negative aspects to the health of a man and these need to be brought out. Men can also suffer from various problems like lack of libido, erectile dysfunction, and a host of problems that inhibit normal sex life even if you are very young. Such conditions need to be treated. Sometimes what is apparent is not real and many men feel inadequate. Perhaps this is nature's way of doing the balancing act while giving a boon to men who can be active late in years yet taking away from them the essence of manhood even if you are younger.
