[beth]

Not every old person is a fountain of wisdom but, as a society, we generally don't have a lot of respect for older people. In doing so, we are missing out on a great resource. Why has this happened? With our increasing need to have the latest car, computer etc, have we included ""obsolete" oldies in our desire to have the latest and greatest, and have we forgotten that some things never change (despite what Microsoft would have us believe!) and how important old skills and the wisdom of age can be?

[shoshanna]

I think that our lack of respect is really our loss. Older generations can teach us so much about life. They grew up in a world where people trusted each other, where their word meant something and where hard work was valued. It seems like one of the failings of our society is that we do not value the elderly the way that we should.

[heritagemom]

I think that there are a lot of people that DO respect and honor their elderly, treasure their memories, and care for them as they age. Sadly, there are a lot of younger people who haven't been taught to listen to their elders or to value them as a resource. In our attempts to teach our children self reliance, we might have made them so independent that they feel like anyone who might be out of touch or behind the times isn't worth their time. A return to family values, morals, and a connectedness that strengthens family bonds and legacies is definately in order.

One of my favorite quotes is attributed to Alex Haley who said "When an old person dies, it's like a library burning"...and I couldn't agree more.

[shazbo]

i know alot of youth today have got no respect but also theres alot of old people has well many a time i have held doors open not much as a thank you . trolleys ramd in to me not even a sorry . . you have to show respect to get respect

[NewroticGirl]

Originally Posted by shazbo

you have to show respect to get respect

I'm a big believer in this one... not just for the elderly but for EVERYBODY!

[WordsAplenty]

I agree that the West doesn't value the elderly as much as Eastern cultures do. But there are also differences in family dynamics and people in general. In the East, parents are more likely to be married, extended families are more likely to live together, women are more likely to stay home with the kids, the "village" still raises the children... in a society like that, it just seems a natural extension to respect and take care of the elderly. Over here, on the other hand, some of our parents and grandparents were completely self-centered, selfish, and well... mean. It's hard to turn on the love, care, and respect just because someone reaches a certain age.

[rudkovich]

In the west (in the US esp) we have the option of ignoring our past, and consequently the harbingers of the past: our elders. That is a choice, not a tradition. I think tradition strongly encourages us to respect our elders. But it's just a suggestion this day and age. I believe that soon it will become rebelious to care for our elders and remember our past and maybe then it will come back into fashion.

[oweirdo]

I think the norm is we want it now. We dont care about what happened in the past, we just care about today, and what can an old worn out person teach us. And someone comes in contact with a grumpy one, they assume that all eldery people are grumpy, and they must all need help. Today we just dont care, about anything thats not new and now.
I know living with someone my whole life who was old, I have much respect for eldery people. Mom always took me to eat with her at the senior citizen center, I was an honeree "the younget senior citizen." We always had fun, played games, I learned so much during those years, and I treasure those friends I made. My DDs know they are to respect their NeNe, and anyone older than about 20. They are all elders to them, they are to be shown respect at all times.

[LeanyBean]

I must agree with Ollie. We are so focused on what's new and fresh that we forget about the abundance of good and old all over the place.
When I was rather young my grandfather lived with us for several years and after he moved out on his own my mother was his caregiver until he passed on when I was a teen. He was wonderful to be around. He did a great many things in his life. Not all of them good but he lived life. A lot of it without a telephone or television and I am not sure the man ever touched a computer. I'm sure my life would be greatly different had I never gotten a chance to know him. I must admit we all should spend time with the elder citizens of our society. Perhaps make it a requirement of highschool graduation to be a volunteer at a nursing home or the like or even go door to door of our senior citizens to help them out or just to keep them company.

Sometimes you just need to know where you've been to see where you're going.

[mcmama]

Actually, if an elderly person has been active and strong for a long time, it can be a real problem for them to accept the limitations when arthritis, stroke, heart problems, etc catch up with them. This is a problem that one family friend is facing now.

We had a fun time at a gathering yesterday - everyone there was a boomer except my teenage son. We were talking about how if your mama was looking for you, everyone on the block knew it.

My teenager doesn't know anyone on the block. He has his friends from school. His friends from church. His friends from DeMolay. None of that is particular to our neighborhood.

But....

His favorite teacher is in her 70s. The old ladies at church have taught him the electric slide, and since they can dance better than he can in general, he pays attention to them when they show him a dance step, because he can use it to impress some girl later. Unfortunately, in our area, a lot of older Masons do not bother with the youth organizations, so the more active advisors tend to be middle aged women. That is a shame, because he really likes talking to people who watched basketball in the 60s and 70s, to compare notes on how the professional game has changed.

He likes talking to old people when they have something interesting to say - but a lot of time, they just don't bother. Kids today, ya know, they just don't know anything.