Saturday, July 27, 2013
Some Comments Sent to "TO BE OLD"
WOW! Absolutely amazingly wonderful! Well written and very very appreciated. Thank you so much.
Dipak from NYC
Dipak from NYC
Anonymous said...
When old people and pets are abandoned, it will come back to haunt those who do the abandonments.
Universal Karma is funny that way.
Dr. HT in Oregon
Universal Karma is funny that way.
Dr. HT in Oregon
Anonymous said...
Bet you won't print this. Old people give me the creeps. ANON 15 years of age and proud to say my feelings.
Anonymous said...
Could you please write more on aging in America? I am old and my family dumped me. ANON Chicago
Anonymous said...I feel our society does not value old people. I went to a new eye doctor who tried to scare me into all sorts of tests as I am getting old. Any comment I made, he disagreed with and said it was just because I was getting old. Ill health is ill health - not being old. You can bet that very young man lost a customer. The sad part is that he believed what he was saying.
We have kept our animal friends alive far longer than most - even past loss of bladder and bowel control. If they still enjoyed eating and being with us, we kept them. Our Malamute lived to be 16 - the vet said the average age expectancy was 8......
Many of my dear older friends tell wonderful stories. I have more difficulty with the infirm - not sure when to offer assistance..... do not want to wound pride.
I am grateful for the opportunity to grow old. N in Tucson
Anonymous said...
You are truly a wise one RubyNorma.
K in Ohio
K in Ohio
Anonymous said...
Oh, RubyNorma, you hit a hot button issue for me. I hate aging. Why? Because we live in a throw-away society. I was my mother's sole caregiver and had to fight every day to keep her alive and to have dignity in her later years. It was very frustrating in a system set up to kill the caregiver. I had countless people, including her oncologist, ask me why I didn't put her in a nursing home. My answer: I can NOT WAREHOUSE MY MOTHER!!! It still makes me furious that this is the norm in this society. I have no one who will fight for me. I will have to fight for myself. But I will NOT go to a nursing home. Ever. No matter what they call it. The condescension for the elderly, the disrespect makes me sick to my stomach. People should be ashamed of themselves. There is so much to be learned from older people. They should be revered, loved, respected. Fat chance.
ANON in MA
ANON in MA
Hi Ruby,
The lack of respect shown to the elderly is the result of the lack of courage and commonsense by both the citizens and the ruling leaders.There is a law in Australia that stipulates that a child under 10 years old cannot be deemed responsible for anything.All over Australia young kids between seven and eight who know about this law are taking the piss out of all authority agencies including the police,who can do absolutely nothing about it.Good that.These days everything is revolving around money.Money is only one part of the twelve experiences of man,while he lives on this earth.People do not know this nor have they got any clue about what their governments have in store for them.Old people cost money,like pensions,rebates and mostly health care.Well,in many countries now if you are retired and have financial assets that you have worked your butt off for this is taken into account and your government pension is reduced even stopped altogether.Next is the amount of toxins and chemicals being put and allowed legally,in foods to poison and reduce the lifespan of the elderly who mostly have lower immune systems.Any good commonsensical doctor will tell you there is no vaccine that can cure the flu,yet every year we hear this repeated bleating by scientists and eminent doctors advocating the elderly be given flu vaccines supposedly to help them fight these concocted flu epidemics that just happen to go around the world every winter.You may ask why governments would sponsor big pharma to produce millions of vaccines to give to the elderly free.Well,just think about the cost of a vaccine against the monthly pension of a pensioner over twenty years.That's why.All flu vaccines actually make people sick and if they are unlucky they are dead.Once the old codger drops dead after receiving a $10 dollar vaccine,the government stops paying his pension for ever.Are you getting the gist of lateral thinking here?.But then again his death is totally blamed of any flu epidemic that just happens to do the rounds then.Funny how the Chinese,the Spanish,the South Americans are blamed for flu epidemics these days.Even the birds,pigs and predominantly the Asians.
Then again I may have got all this very wrong but I very much doubt it. Have a nice day. ANON in OZ
The lack of respect shown to the elderly is the result of the lack of courage and commonsense by both the citizens and the ruling leaders.There is a law in Australia that stipulates that a child under 10 years old cannot be deemed responsible for anything.All over Australia young kids between seven and eight who know about this law are taking the piss out of all authority agencies including the police,who can do absolutely nothing about it.Good that.These days everything is revolving around money.Money is only one part of the twelve experiences of man,while he lives on this earth.People do not know this nor have they got any clue about what their governments have in store for them.Old people cost money,like pensions,rebates and mostly health care.Well,in many countries now if you are retired and have financial assets that you have worked your butt off for this is taken into account and your government pension is reduced even stopped altogether.Next is the amount of toxins and chemicals being put and allowed legally,in foods to poison and reduce the lifespan of the elderly who mostly have lower immune systems.Any good commonsensical doctor will tell you there is no vaccine that can cure the flu,yet every year we hear this repeated bleating by scientists and eminent doctors advocating the elderly be given flu vaccines supposedly to help them fight these concocted flu epidemics that just happen to go around the world every winter.You may ask why governments would sponsor big pharma to produce millions of vaccines to give to the elderly free.Well,just think about the cost of a vaccine against the monthly pension of a pensioner over twenty years.That's why.All flu vaccines actually make people sick and if they are unlucky they are dead.Once the old codger drops dead after receiving a $10 dollar vaccine,the government stops paying his pension for ever.Are you getting the gist of lateral thinking here?.But then again his death is totally blamed of any flu epidemic that just happens to do the rounds then.Funny how the Chinese,the Spanish,the South Americans are blamed for flu epidemics these days.Even the birds,pigs and predominantly the Asians.
Then again I may have got all this very wrong but I very much doubt it. Have a nice day. ANON in OZ
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Great topic!! Many sad scenarios going on in our social attitudes, health care system, and economic climate for the elderly. As a person who has made a career out of "healthy aging" (I am a licensed aesthetician and a certified holistic nutritionist) I just want to add a positive spin on the topic that I see happening in society today; never before has so much data and research been available about the preventive care that we can take to age more healthfully. The choices that we make while younger and even in advanced age can make a real difference! Also, even in the media and Hollywood , we see more positive role models for older people-look at the roles being offered to "aging" actors-sexy, powerful characters Never before portrayed!! Slowly the tide is turning and we must continue the effort to keep our hearts and minds focused on the rich contribution to society of our older population.
We need to value them for their wisdom and deeply revere the parts that they have played in shaping our families, preserving our freedoms, influencing our industries, our cultures, our arts, and how managing their care in their older years is the way that we can express this gratitude and collectively hold our heads up and say "you are valued and loved". For some this is more of a personal sacrifice than others (some would never put a loved one in an institutional setting, while others have no choice due to medical conditions, etc.).
This part of life is not easy, not easy on the aging bodies of the elderly nor the people who provide their care. But it is the full cycle of life that we are granted. It is in our best interest to navigate it with as much love , compassion and grace that we can muster. After all, as we gain all this knowledge to live longer, fuller lives, the young people of today will "be there before they know it" as they say. Let's do our best to do our Best.
Thanks RubyNorma for opening up a topic that bears our scrutiny. It is an honor to read all the comments from around the globe and to share my thoughts on this subject!
D.D. from Scottsdale Az.
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We need to value them for their wisdom and deeply revere the parts that they have played in shaping our families, preserving our freedoms, influencing our industries, our cultures, our arts, and how managing their care in their older years is the way that we can express this gratitude and collectively hold our heads up and say "you are valued and loved". For some this is more of a personal sacrifice than others (some would never put a loved one in an institutional setting, while others have no choice due to medical conditions, etc.).
This part of life is not easy, not easy on the aging bodies of the elderly nor the people who provide their care. But it is the full cycle of life that we are granted. It is in our best interest to navigate it with as much love , compassion and grace that we can muster. After all, as we gain all this knowledge to live longer, fuller lives, the young people of today will "be there before they know it" as they say. Let's do our best to do our Best.
Thanks RubyNorma for opening up a topic that bears our scrutiny. It is an honor to read all the comments from around the globe and to share my thoughts on this subject!
D.D. from Scottsdale Az.
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