They say that life is a full circle: we start as children with the specific state of mind, we evolve, we get more experienced and more mature in thinking and after a certain age (witch is the top of the world for each one of us) we slowly go back the child status.
Some of us keep their mind in place until respectable ages and die as a wise man but most of us are just loosing it. Have you ever wondered what’s up with all the old people wondering around the city doing stupid things?
They’re everywhere…in the subway, in the bus, in the marketplace, near your home and even near your working place…and it’s the same story: “I’m old, I’m sick, I paid for your education so you should do everything my hear desires”.
OK, I can understand they’re old and helpless, with some health problems and a bad temper after a certain age…but what’s my fault? Believe me that after a hard 12 hour working day their problems are the last thing on my mind.
Don’t get me wrong now, I have elders of my own and I respect them for what they did for me and so on…but some of them are just…I don’t know…like crazy or something.
They all say their old and helpless, they all say they’re ill and week….but why the hell are they wondering around the city in the maximum rush hour, in the hottest hour of summer or in a strong storm?
It’s really weird…the doctors specially made their program so that the elders won’t have to go thru the conditions above, the bills now can be paid virtually everywhere and I don’t know who goes in a visit at 7 in the morning.
My humble personal opinion it that these people are just getting bored around home and because of their desire to actually do something or go somewhere they are doing stupid things like going to well planed gatherings like doctor’s place, countless long line for everything, market places, post offices and others….
Why are they doing this you ask? Well…it’s just because their desire to communicate with others, to say what’s on their mind, to complain about their problems, to actually do something and why not to take their anger on someone else.
I’m not a machine. I know that for a retired old man life can be quite … let’s just say unattractive. If I take a little time to think about it in fact it’s quite tragic…Just think about it. Imagine a widowed old man, living alone, no or few relatives of his age, no friends around, he’s kids are working hard to make a living, he’s nephews are in school and living with their parents….what’s the poor man to do?
They don’t have people to talk to, don’t have money to visit places, don’t have power to do all the thing they desire and most of all no one is paying any attention to them.
Some of them start attending elder clubs (chess, backgammon…), some started some time consuming craftsmanship activities, some started simple jobs like walking pets or taking care of houses (cutting grass, dusting…) and others just found a plan and stoked with it.
Unfortunately some of them just lost it…they’re going out for a walk in the city in the maximum traffic hour complaining about the problems of the common transportation system, they’re all going to the doctor once a week early morning to complain about the problems of the health system and exchange illness stories, they’re going to the local market (preferable some markets far away because they have heard of I don’t know what product cheaper by 10 cents…) complaining about the toughness of life and the small retirement fee….just looking for people to tell their story to and complain about their never-ending problems.
Now after analyzing and (partially) understanding their status what’s to do? How can we treat them with the respect they deserve and in the same time live with them in peace?
One option will be answer them politely and short and let them be no matter what’s their reaction. If you do not answer to tem you are being rude and all of them we join forces against you. If you are trying to make your stand and explain them, no matter how patiently and polite you are, they will say that you are trying to fool them. The only reasonable way is to act accordingly to the say what you have to say short and precise and ignore the following.
I can understand their problems, being old and helpless and all, but I have problems of my own, I don’t have the energy to listen to their problems, I don’t wont to trouble my mind with someone else’s problems, I have enough of those of my own.
As a final point the main fault is not theirs…they’re just ill helpless people neglected by their children and struggling to live one more day in these hush conditions. Counting on the fact that social services are down and won’t get any better any soon the main fault is on their kids…that’s why the elders feel neglected, that’s why they feel the need to speak to others, that’s why they can’t seem to find their place in this world.
I can’t say I take my time to speak with my elder ones, listen to them everyday, walk with then and thing like that….but the least I can do is making sure the have all they need to live without worries, do as much a I can to spear them of making long shopping trips, help them with the never-ending medical problems and last but not least making sure they don’t go wondering around the city in maximum traffic and in extreme condition.
The parents are to blame for bad children and the children are to blame for troubled elders. Don’t forget that….it’s a never-ending full circle story.
