“Amou” is an endearing word in Farsi used especially by kids for kind men to show their affection, and in this story our man is called just by that, Amou Haji.
Amou Haji, aged 80, who lives in Dejgah village in the southern Iranian province of Fars has not bathed for 60 years.
The last record of longest time going without showers belonged to a 66-year-old Indian man, Kailash Singh, who had not taken a bath over 38 years.
Not to our surprise, when we searched the reason behind Amou Haji’s way of life, we found out that he had gone through some emotional setbacks in his youth and from then on decided to live an isolated life.
He escaped from the hands of a few young men who offered him free shower, because he believes cleanliness brings him sickness.
Amou Haji’s favorite food is rotten meat of dead animals specially porcupines and when asked to eat clean food and drink clean water he gets mad.
His smoking pipe is filled with animal’s feces instead of tobacco and when he feels like smoking cigarettes he lights up a few of them at a time.
He wears a war helmet not to fight off the enemy in the battle field but to keep away from the bitterly cold winters.
Amou Haji has a couple of places to live in: one is a hole in the ground resembling a grave to keep him grounded and in touch with the reality of life and the other is an open brick shack built by those who felt sorry for him.
Sure, he uses mirrors fine to check himself out, but his choice of mirror is the passing by cars side mirrors.
After all may be Amou Haji is showing us an alternative and uncongenial way of life to live and who’s to say who’s right and who’s wrong?
For all I know he is luckier than many of us.
His roof is the starred sky, his little shack is paid in full without worrying about monthly mortgages, his pillow and quilt is the soft cushion of the earth embracing him every time.
He goes through days without worrying about overdue gas and electricity bills for his breaths will do the job to warm up his shelter during cold nights.
Instead of having a patio for his house, he has the entire horizon set before him.
He has no fear of getting rubbed at nights because he has built no possessions.
He feels happy despite having no belongings and maybe that is exactly why he is joyful.
He practices drinking his five liters of water every day, a healthy habit, out of a large rusty oil tin versus fancy crystal glasses.
And yes, indeed Amou Haji does care about keeping his hair trimmed and cut but not by going to expensive barbershops but by burning it over a fire.
Amou Haji jan, thank you for showing us how poor we live.
The earth belongs to you, so live freely and enjoy!
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