An open letter to the elderly.

74Templar
It also gives you no right to go on some tirade about our children and how they are supposedly in your eyes ‘rude little assholes’ that you think take everything and give nothing back.

Gotta ask .... is it true?
Are they rude little a-holes who take everything and give nothing back?
Just asking. (and yes, I'm old and cranky )

Im glad some of you enjoyed the little green story my mother in law sent me.

I have been thinking a bit about this post off and on all morning. I guess I just wanted to add that there might be some more reasons behind the old snarkies then meets the eye. Im sure all these people have some interesting history. Be it a heart breaker, or pretty cool if you stop to listen too their story. I mean who knows what happened to the person before they left the house? Did they get a phone call from their child asking yet for more money? Did they just find out the only health insurance they had has now been change beyond anything they can comprehend? Maybe they are cranky because they cant afford a medication that would ease the ongoing pain. I know Im never pleasant when Im in pain. Maybe some little brat just tore up their garden. Or someones been just letting their dog do their thing on their lawn every morning and leaving it there for them to deal with. Maybe their pension is running out and they are just plain scared. The list of possibilities could go on and on.

It could be a lot of things. Maybe if people werent in such a tiz about getting their thank you, and actually took the time to maybe talk to these people for a moment, let them know you see they may be having a bad day and is there anything you might be able to do to make it better.... well, that might actually require being human and giving a little of ones self. Guess no ones got time for that eh?

74Templar
reply to post by Bassago

 

I do hope this rant isn't taken too seriously.

I was toying with the idea of putting the author's note at the top, but it wouldn't have made the same point...

I can deal with snarky. I can't deal with a lack of manners, especially from a generation that should know better.

But hey, it's here now, flame away oldies (if you're all not already in bed....

)

ja ever think that the grumpy old buggers were once grumpy young buggers and their age has little to do with their grump?

Generally I find old people are the only ones who have retained their manners and kids today are abhorrent little swines.

They'll grow up to be abhorrent old people.. and it won't suddenly be like old fogey ear lobes that grow large and wrinkled with strands of horse hair protruding from them... it will just be who they were all along.

Nice rant. Makes me wonder if you're in Florida! As a young man I lived in North Miami Beach for about 6 months on a contract assignment and was constantly bombarded by the presumptive and priviliged behavior of the oldsters - as a driver I was routinely intimidated by pedestrians in groups there. As I've progressed towards becoming elderly myself, I won't say my tolerance has gotten any better for a-holish behavior, but I'm a lot more patient with oldster delays.

ganjoa

I suspect most of us 'elderly arrogant a holes' will forgive a rant from a younger person who has never walked in our shoes thus has no clue.

Maybe you should make it a point to go see an elder relative. Ask about how they are doing and care about the answer. Compliment them on something they have done and yes, even let them know you still need them in your life. Give them a hug before you leave. You just may be the only person they have spoken with or had physical contact with this week.

If they are snarly, maybe it is because, unlike when they were young and busy working and busy with family and needed all the time, they now find they are irrelevant to anyone except themselves.

Big Hug cause I think you need one too.

I'm not there yet but I can see it clearly. Laying on the physiotherapists table yesterday thinking about all the fun stuff I'll never be able to do again. Skating. Bowling. Tennis. Golf. I could go on. Pisses you off a bit. That's no excuse for a lack of manners though. I put it to you though that mental problems do come into play. Dementia is a terrible thing. Dad has it. His good days are depressing for him. He knows what's going on. Bad days and nobody knows what's going to happen. That's not his fault. Cut them some slack. Like has previously been said, it may very well be you in a few years.

Remember in the sixties the phrase was, "Don't trust anyone over thirty!"? The funny thing is, if you are like this now, over thirty and at middle-age, to the younger set you ARE the elderly, the grumpy old man who has a twig up his bum. And you know what? You are going to be "elderly" faster than you can ever imagine. Only the elderly know this, because they know for certain that they were young more or less yesterday. You don't know it, because you haven't gone through the process yet.

It will be fun to watch that.

reply to post by 74Templar


Never has there been such worthless kids as today and such worthless parents that raised them.
This is an example of a very liberal parent desperately trying to throw some blame elsewhere.

Clearly more than half of you never even bothered to read this;

Author’s note: I am well aware that not all elderly people are like this, before anyone accuses me of being disrespectful or of stereotyping. For every rude person spanning generations, there are equally nice people. This was just something I have noticed particularly among the elderly especially in my town, and needed to rant a little.

For those of you that actually got the tongue-in-cheek style of rant this was meant to be, well done for seeing this as it truly was.

This was never about being disrespectful to a particular generation, more than it was a show of what and where we have become as a society. Rudeness and pig-headedness spans all generations, regardless of age, gender, or creed.

I just find each generation blames the one before it for everything, is constantly down on the younger groups for being useless, such as this pathetic two line waste of words;

Never has there been such worthless kids as today and such worthless parents that raised them.
This is an example of a very liberal parent desperately trying to throw some blame elsewhere.

Yet when you scratch the surface, there are just as many rude people in the elderly bracket as there are teenagers. Yet when it is called out, oh no, we have to be respectful to older people, because they have suffered things in life. All it says to me personally is they should be the ones who know better.

You know where I have spent most of my mornings? Helping many of the older people in my town repairing the damage to their properties after a massive storm ripped through last night. All the people, young and old, out there in the rain putting roofs back on and clearing fallen trees. Most of the older people are incapable of doing this themselves, and you know what? All have said thankyou. Hell, half wanted to help! An 84 year old man was insistent on climbing a ladder so he could help a young teenager put his roof back together.

At the heart of it, a lack of manners and general kindness in the world today, by people of all ages who should know better, is why this world is circling the toilet. That's what it was all about.

Anyway, continue flaming me for being disrespectful. I'm off to help more old people.

reply to post by 74Templar


Yes, I read the so-called "disclaimer." It's rather weak. Just substitute "Black" or "Jew" or "women" for "elderly." Would the disclaimer be sufficient then? It's just a pathetic attempt to deflect the criticism he knew he would get for posting something so ignorant. It doesn't change what he posted.

In terms of comedy, though, it's great. An "elderly" (that is to say, "middle aged" (cough)) criticizing the elderly. Pot, meet kettle.

reply to post by eletheia


Star for you! Flag if I could.

IMO this thread doesn't deserve either.

Thank you.