Senior Citizens
By Natalia Gutiérrez
ENG 1430
Old woman: Hello, good afternoon. Yes, how are you doing today?
Gentlemen on the counter: Good afternoon!
O: See, I would like to order something to eat, something very light, you know, my teeth are no good anymore. I would…
G: There is the menu (pointing to the other side of the counter).Take a look and then tell me what you want to order.
O: Ohh thanks, but I think I can’t see. I don’t have my eyeglasses…well ok I’ll try.
G: Oh come on now….I can’t take this right now, now I have to read her the menu too!! Natalia take her order please!!
As I helped the old lady go through the menu to help her decide what to eat that would not hurt her stomach, and would not be difficult for her to swallow, I was thinking “I wonder who is going to take his order when she grows old”. Certainly, I believe that senior citizens are rarely treated with respect, and are shoved to the sidelines of our society.
Elderly people are treated with hostility and unfriendliness. Us, the youth people are not patient enough to remember that they are not the same. They do not think the same way we think now day’s. They do not believe in love through the internet, they do not think that a patch can prevent a woman from getting pregnant, and also not believe in living together before marriage. All of these things that they don not believe are actually frequent and very common in our society. One could think that as the world civilizes, one does too, but unfortunately not always happens like that.
This is why most of us do not pay close attention to what elderly have to say because we think they are not at our “intellectual level”. They are often ignored, and treated as if they were just encumbrance to this growing society. However, elderly have more to express than what we think. They are experienced persons that can provide us with their knowledge and wisdom advices. They are people that despite their different views of life have a lot to offer. For example, they are a big influence in politics. The majority of important senators, lawyers, and congressmen are older and much studied people. Old women are also a significant power in the family. They are the ones that maintain family in unity. They are the instructors of useful tasks such as sewing, weaving, cooking, needling and gardening.
Elderly are packed with knowledge, tricks, stories, and wisdom that unluckily we are putting aside. People do not want to seek for an advice in an older person anymore. People are not interested in listening to a wild or adventurous story told by an old man or and old woman. Now, most of us are so influenced in high-tech entertainments that sometimes forget the good things others have to offer and share like older people.
However, they re also treated with some priority. In the buses for example, they are reserved the best sits. They are also priority for medical assistance and they have certain discounts for medicine and food supplies. They get cheaper thickets to go to museums, recreational centers and trips. Sometimes they even have clubs and organizations just for their entertainment.
Elderly are part of our society, and should not be disrespected or ignored to the point that they are pushed away. They should be valued and cherished for their experience and knowledge. Most of all, people have to be patient. They might not think as actualized as people now do, but they are still people that ought to be considered. Some times we say we want to live long, but we forget that living long is growing old.