Hats off to Today’s Elders
When thinking about this current age population, speaking of those 60 years old or older, it may seem that we are losing a whole generation of experience. From the 1940’s to today, the average age of our grandparents now, to the present, has been one of the most changing and exciting three decades to have lived.
From the Great Depression to the end of World War II, the New Deal and the emergence of women outside the home in the work world, which changed the condition of the American family, changing it from nuclear to intergenerational as it is today. Not only has the increasing advanced in television, radio, and medicine that have been unparalleled in our time, but the advancement of the life span so that centenarians are no longer ‘the eighth wonder of the world’. On the heels of these changes came The Korean War and the 60’s. Parents burning bras and performing sit- ins, the ‘free love’ generation that were their children. The invention of microwaves and ham radios x-rays and MRI’s continued to lead to what is now the Internet, the gateway to the world. That this generation has adapted to all these changes and much, much more proves what a strong generation we come from.
The next time you look at your grandfather or grandmother and think they do not know what is going on in today’s world, think again. Maybe you feel that they are ‘out of touch’ or old-fashioned, but think about what they have survived, adapted to, changed with, and you will look at the wrinkled faces and wish you were half as strong as they have been. Our senior citizens are our legacy. Stong, competent, and inspiring. Treasure and love them. We are their legacy.
When thinking about this current age population, speaking of those 60 years old or older, it may seem that we are losing a whole generation of experience. From the 1940’s to today, the average age of our grandparents now, to the present, has been one of the most changing and exciting three decades to have lived.
From the Great Depression to the end of World War II, the New Deal and the emergence of women outside the home in the work world, which changed the condition of the American family, changing it from nuclear to intergenerational as it is today. Not only has the increasing advanced in television, radio, and medicine that have been unparalleled in our time, but the advancement of the life span so that centenarians are no longer ‘the eighth wonder of the world’. On the heels of these changes came The Korean War and the 60’s. Parents burning bras and performing sit- ins, the ‘free love’ generation that were their children. The invention of microwaves and ham radios x-rays and MRI’s continued to lead to what is now the Internet, the gateway to the world. That this generation has adapted to all these changes and much, much more proves what a strong generation we come from.
The next time you look at your grandfather or grandmother and think they do not know what is going on in today’s world, think again. Maybe you feel that they are ‘out of touch’ or old-fashioned, but think about what they have survived, adapted to, changed with, and you will look at the wrinkled faces and wish you were half as strong as they have been. Our senior citizens are our legacy. Stong, competent, and inspiring. Treasure and love them. We are their legacy.
1 comment:
Thank you for such a wonderful commentary on our seniors. Behind every wrinkle is a story.
Post a Comment