Caring For The Old

Picture this, if you will. Mr. Reman is an executive in a major corporation. He earns an honest, and profitable, living, thanks mainly to his contributions and innovative ideas that keep his job alive. Probably because of this, he is respected by co-workers and friends alike. But few knew the other side of him, his domestic side. He is often enraged at his father, who is in his mid-70s, throwing wild tantrums for petty reasons like being in the way and being slow. Not that Mr. Reman's father could help it, after all he's confined to a wheelchair. Mr. Reman is still getting away with something worse than crime, while his father is left meandering in his own thoughts, suffering in silence, and wondering what the heck has gone wrong to the animal he once called son.

We can deny it all we want, but we can't hide from the fact that at this very moment, thousands of cases like the one above are happening, some even so serious to the point that old folks are sent, or more appropriately, banished, to old folks' homes. It's hard to imagine that while technology and such are advancing at such a breakneck pace, a simple subject like caring for the old is ignored and overlooked. Sure, ask any ordinary person in the street and he or she will be all for caring for the old, but in all probability they might just be on their way to the old folks' home, and dumping off an elderly person like how one would dispose of garbage. Welcome to the horrific world of double standards.

Being appalled about the issue is an understatement. There might be reasons for this happening, but certainly void of logic. One of which is the gradual moral decay of the present society, an unfortunate backlash from modern living and technological advances. The selfish and "don't-give-a-damn" attitude is much practiced in this unforgiving world. As a result, the elderly are victims to the "system". In many cases, either they are sent to the nearest old folks' home in a huff after being branded a burden by their children, their own flesh and blood, or they are swept away by the air of unfriendliness, misplaced concern and narcissism all around them. This sort of negative thinking has become a very worrying trend.

Moral decay has brought to outright disrespect towards the elderly. Where, a generation ago, children would be taught to respect and honour their elders regardless of their contributions to society; has come to a new generation of children and youngsters alike who expect service from them. Imagine that! Appreciation and admiration for the older generation's deeds and contributions have turned to dust. The lack of respect towards the elderly seemed to seep into the daily lives of some youngsters, some going to the point of mocking, ridiculing and insulting their elders for no apparent purpose or reason. Maybe someone should knock some sense into them that one fine day, they too would grow old, fatal diseases and accidents notwithstanding.

And who among us has not heard of all the excuses? Excuses that old people are not supposed to belong to society? We've heard them all. That they are too out of their time, that they would not be able to learn any new abilities to cope with the new way of living, that they won't be able to contribute anymore to society, that they are not productive anymore, that they would not succeed in aligning themselves with scientific development; and goodness knows what else. What do peole hope to achieve by saying all this? Hope that old people be driven to live in caves?

It's high time for some change.

First of all, we should get rid of any negative mentality we might have regarding old people. We must realise that they have as much right as we do to live, to be with the living, and to just be. Moreover, we should be thankful of them for bringing our country to where it is now, a cultural potpurri and generally a success in every aspect. Their contributions to our country in the past were innumerable to say the least, which probably grants them the right to live gloriously and luxuriously in their twilight years. Moreover, some elderly people's lives have been so significant that their good deeds could last for two lifetimes in any ordinary person. Yet, why do some of us still remain so narrow-minded and view them all as burdens?

The statement that old people do not bring productivity is nothing but an overbloated myth. The fact is that many old people continue to contribute to society well into their 70s, or even 80s. The recent news report about a centurion who still transports people around town in his trishaw even though his family tried to sell the vehicle thrice probably had some people quietly celebrating and even more people surprised. Although some of the elderly do remain immobile and inactive in their later years, you've heard of the old saying "can't teach an old dog new tricks", maybe that rule applies to some humans too. Even so, it is not an excuse to forsake them, when it is during that time that they need our help and care the most.

Any negative attitude or perception of old people should also be thrown out the window. We should care for them as they did for us when we were mere tots. We should show them the same amount of tolerance and patience they gave us (and we took for granted) when we were young and naive. And for once, we should really listen to what they have to say.We would be overwhelmed with the vast wisdom, experiences and life lessons they are willing to share. Remember that they too need people to talk to. Although it is said many times before that things are easier said than done, someone has to start somewhere to change our perception and treatment of old people for the better. To start the ball rolling, figuratively speaking, and to keep it that way.

Besides all that, the steps mentioned above, we should also have hope. A tremendous amount of it. Hope that things change for the better on the whole for the elderly. Perhaps, one day, Mr. Reman will learn to appreciate his father too.

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