by Teresa Weimer

Created on: October 08, 2009   Last Updated: October 09, 2009

This topic mystifies me by its simplicity, yet shocks me with its ignorance. Just as some topics warm my heart and renew my faith in society; this one quickly jolts me back into reality. If there is such a thing as a 'no brainer', listening to the wisdom of our elders is near the top of that list.

Our elders are the greatest asset, combining wisdom and life experience, available to us as resource. The fact that we do not capitalize on the wealth of their knowledge when it is free and available says a lot about who we are as a culture. How we regard our elderly in this country is symbolic of a selfish society replacing a once selfless community. Not only have our seniors managed to survive a lifetime of uphill battles and countless hard knocks, but let's not forget the old adage "what comes around, goes around" since we too are likely to walk a similar mile in the same orthopedic shoes.

Just as fine antiques were born to an era known for its quality and craftsmanship, the elderly too have been cut from a vintage cloth woven of values, ethics and hard work. Each generation that preceded the last has done so with much less, yet valued it more. Those of us who are fortunate enough to live a full, healthy life owe it to medicines and advances of such that began in previous generations.

Do we choose not to see the sadness in the worn faces of the elders we frequently dismiss? The same faces carved by time with deep lines that resemble the withered rings in a grand old oak tree? Our elders are the countries retired soldiers and generals that fought the wars which enable us to continue enjoying so many freedoms. They are the nurses, doctors, teachers and police that paved the way for our civil rights, by marching for equality so we could enjoy the fruits of their labor. Our seniors were the scientists responsible for developing the medicines and vaccines that prevent disease in our children today. We owe most of our luxuries to the same people sitting alone in wheel chairs, in lost corners of assisted living centers, as they suffer from chronic bed sores, because we are simply too busy to listen and too spoiled to care.

We've all but thrown away our geriatric generations as far too many of our elderly age among the forgotten. We should be ashamed of our inability to recognize their value and importance. The elderly have more than earned their keep and they are not only entitled to our respect, they deserve our generosity with the same kind hand it was offered to us. Many of our senior's citizens not only raised us; they helped us raise our children and even some of our grandchildren.

We stand to learn a lot from our seniors. They are the boy scouts and girl scouts who have earned all of their badges. Cultures like the Native American Indians and the Chinese look to their elders as highly revered chiefs and counselors, as we demote ours to fulfill our needs as babysitters and diaper changers. We should all think long and hard about what we have and how we achieved it, since chances are it was through the support of someone older that helped us reach our goals while affording us better opportunities.

We need to look to our seniors and listen as we are likely looking at our future through a mirror. We need to value our elders before we wind up devaluing ourselves. We are, after all, teaching our children by the example, so the time we don't make to cherish our elders today is time our children won't make tomorrow.

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