One of the many ironies that I chuckle over quietly every now and then, is how science has found itself turned on its head by the inevitable evolution of humanity. There was a time when science was the new kid on the block, telling retrogressive religion that it had it wrong. It got its way and for the next 300 years ruled the planet as kingpin. But guess what? Times have changed. Today, science is on the run, as spirituality challenges many of its cherished tenets and principles. Slowly, reluctantly, the more progressive elements are acknowledging their ignorance, but the large majority is still keeping a closed mind, fighting to preserve its cherished superiority.

If you want to keep pace with a changing world, it is imperative to keep your mind open. If not, you might find yourself blown away by the winds of change, rendered utterly irrelevant.
Look at the way liberalisation has made so many careers defunct. I still remember the breed of paste-up artists who would painfully cut and paste rolls of typeset matter onto pages. Computers have completely done away with this breed and unless they have been able to reinvent themselves as graphic designers and visualisers, their careers have come to a full stop.

Even the best of us have difficulty keeping our minds open. Our human tendency is to opt for the tried and tested - to prefer the comforting dal roti for the uncertain pleasure of chicken kiev. We prefer to revolve within our known though limited grooves even when life is calling to us to learn a new language, settle down in a different town, change our job, try another bus route, make new friends and so on.
The secret of staying young and enthusiastic, therefore, is to challenge your comfort zone and belief system every single day. You may think that South Mumbai is the centre of the universe but hey, keep an open mind. And give that man with the dreadlocks a second chance, will you? He might open up new worlds for you. And yes, learn salsa or audition for a play or join the local choir. Come to think of it, write a book, do an MBA course, join the Green party, learn Vedanta, go on a padayatra, detox yourself, whatever the inner urge suggests.