Don't Make Fun

Excerpt from Daily Cures, Wisdom for Healthy Aging by Connie Mason Michaelis

We always think we're young!

Are you a believer in the adage "What goes around, comes around?" Are you the karma type? Perhaps you are a "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you believer?" Whatever your life philosophy, I can give you a reliable, unchangeable, unavoidable truism. It is an inescapable certainty that you will experience this phenomenon if you live long enough. Do NOT make fun of old people---one day, you'll be one! I should say you'll want to be one! Aging is the one thing we all share in common. Aging is our common denominator. When you are 19, you think that 30 is ancient.   When you are 30, you think that 50 is over the hill.   And then you suddenly are 65, and you know for sure that 80 is old. That just means that we never think we are old. 80 is the time to really start celebrating birthdays! So if you poke fun of seniors or send those disparaging jokes around---just remember that you'll be on the receiving end sooner or later!  

I continue to drill home this message that our culture is not age-friendly. In truth, we ought to be looking forward to growing old. It comes with wisdom, experience, and it should come with a great deal of respect. Many cultures value their elders as the keepers of wisdom and knowledge. I'm sure in those countries, young adults do not make fun of their elders; to the contrary, they aspire to be one! Oh, yes, the birthday cards, cartoons, and emails make us smile. We can undoubtedly laugh at ourselves and our limitations. But the underlying attitudes are misguided. We need to be diligent to be kind, helpful, and respectful. There is nothing wrong with helping a little old lady across the street, with a smile on your face, and feeling honored to do it. 

"You can tell a lot about a person's character by what they laugh about." Annonymous