Respecting the Elderly
May 19th, 2008The other day I was talking with a work colleague when we were approached by an elderly gentleman. The old man at first seemed like he wanted some information but as it turned out he just wanted to chat. After his initial question he soon began telling us a story from his youth to which my work colleague politely responded that he was late for a meeting and had to run. I had things I could have been doing but they were not urgent so I entertained the old fellow and politely listened for about twenty minutes. I would have preferred to walk away also but I am glad I listened to him for a while.
He told me a story about an old car that he owned many many years ago and how much his late wife enjoyed being driven around in that old car. He went on to tell me how the older cars would last forever and how the modern car of today was not built to last. He is probably right. As he finished telling me his story I managed to politely excuse myself fearing he might launch into another story and I went back to work.
Later that day I saw the same old man walking along the street and I suddenly had an intuitive flash in my mind that his story about the old car he once owned was a disguised way to telling me how much he loved and missed his wife who had passed away. It made me feel good that I listened to his story while at the same time I felt sad for him since he seemed very lonely.
The truth is I really do not know anything about this old man, he may have many friends and family around him but the moral to this story is, give elderly people at least a little bit of your time. No matter how busy you are or how desperate you are to get away from their sometimes gloomy stories from the past, most elderly people get tremendous enjoyment in reliving their younger years for their own personal reasons. I have found that elderly people generally are more than willing to give me their time or advice when I am seeking it and do so with their full attention.
When I was younger I often thought elderly people didn’t have a clue what was happening in the world or certainly not what was happening in my little world but now at 38 years of age I realize wisdom comes with age and that I can learn a lot from people much older than me. Elderly people in my eyes have earned my respect because they have endured the hardships and turmoil we all face in life and are still around to talk about it. Yes some elderly people can be quite bitter and awkward to be around but at least pay them respect and never dismiss the value in their words.
Personally I think the idea of getting older is more daunting than the fear of dying but either way, I do not face the challenge of getting older or dying alone since this is inevitable for everyone of us as far as I know. Perhaps one day if I live long enough to become an old man I will need a willing ear to listen to my old stories from my youth. Life is a wonderful and at times sad journey till the very end and we all deserve a measure of respect from each other right up until that final day dawns.
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June 24th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Hey John, I totally agree with you. Elderly people are much wiser because they have lived longer than us. I think the longer you live, the more experiences you have. With more experiences comes more wisdom if you learn each lesson from each situation you face. That’s why we younger peeps should ask our grandparents or older folks for advice because more than likely, they are wiser.