Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Elderly Population

Embracing the Disinherited



The Elderly Population

            In tribal cultures, the elderly play an important role. They are the keepers of the tribe’s memories and the holders of wisdom. As such, the elderly are honored and respected members of tribes. In many modern cultures, however, this is often not the case. Many elderly people say that they feel ignored, left out, and disrespected.

            This is a sad commentary on modernization, but it doesn’t have to be this way. We can change this situation by taking the time to examine our attitudes about the elderly and taking action.

            Modern societies tend to be obsessed with the ideas of newness, youth, and progress. Scientific studies tell us how to do everything, from the way we should raise our kids to what we need to eat for breakfast. As a result, the wisdom that is passed down from older generations is often disregarded. Of course, grandparents and retired persons have more than information to offer the world. Their maturity and experience allows for a larger perspective of life, and we can learn a lot from talking to elderly people.

            It’s a shame that society doesn’t do more to allow our older population to continue to feel productive for the rest of their lives, but you can help to make change. Perhaps you could help facilitate a mentorship program that would allow children to be tutored by the elderly in retirement homes. The elderly make wonderful storytellers, and creating programs where they could share their real life experiences with others is another way to educate and inspire other genera! tions.

            Take stock of your relationships with the elderly population. Maybe you don’t really listen to them because you hold the belief that their time has passed and they are too old to understand what you are going through. You may even realize that you don’t have any relationships with older people. Try to understand why and how our cultural perception of the elderly influences the way you perceive them.

            Look around you and reach out to someone who is elderly, even if you are just saying hello and making small talk. Resolve to be more aware of the elderly.


They are our mentors, wise folk, and the pioneers
that came before us and paved the way for our future.


K. Sarnac

1 comment:

  1. I've been wondering about this subject recently.

    Part of the cause is related to how we live as a society. In the village/small community way of living, the elders would remain an integral part of the society until their departure. Our urban/city lifestyle is just too fast and too scattered to see the depth in one's eyes that have seen many autumns. Solution: Return to the sustainable village/community way of living.

    An even greater cause has to do with individual perception. I often ask myself, "Am I seeing an elderly person or am I seeing a person?". Could we shift our perception to first seeing that beyond those eyes, is spirit eternal. The impermanent clothes of this body comes in many shapes and sizes, some weathered and some just off the shelf. The experience of life becomes more profound when we are able to see beyond appearances and classifications of old and young.

    Great topic! Thank you.

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