Article 11

After reading this article it really got me thinking about how I view the elderly. I never really thought about the points that Mary Pipher made until I read this article. It's really sad to think about how our society looks at "old" people. I understand that everyone is scared of dying and losing the abilities we have but we also need to look at the wisdom they have and respect at all the things they have been through. It’s really disappointing that we as a society segregate the old and have a type of prejudice against them because we live in a "youth worshiping culture." Just because the old are "different" from us if you can even say that, does not mean that we should look down upon them or try to segregate them. I never really thought about the fact that our greeting cards aimed towards the older generation mostly poke fun of the aging process, but it really is true. It's very normal when someone is nervous about something they make a joke and that’s exactly what happens with our greeting cards. I know for my self that I do not want to get old and I guess you could say I do fear aging and when I do get into my fifties I will most likely be in denial about being "old" which I find very embarrassing. Even Pipher admitted it was hard for her to go rest homes because it forced her to think about her self one day living in one. I can say that I'm not that scared of dying per say but the process of getting old; losing my memory, losing my eye sight, etc. I completely agree with the statement that nothing in our culture guides us in a positive way toward the old. Everything around us conveys aging as bad, so obviously the younger generations are almost taught to fear aging and being old. I also think it’s sad that a lot of people in the younger generation do not have proper manners with the older generation. They are people just like we are, they may have lost some of their abilities but in reality they are still human beings. Another point I have extremely interesting is that when an older person gets in car accident it's blamed on their age because it’s very true. There are just as many younger drivers. I also agree with the fact that the media does not portray older people in the right way. They show them in the stereotypical way and if I have learned anything over the course of the semester it is hat we need to stop stereotyping people especially based on their age. To me the most upsetting thing I read in the article is the fact that older people are scared to be dependent on their family members because of how they fear they will be looked at. Just because they need help doesn't mean their family members should lose respect for them. I think the younger generation needs to start becoming more accepting so that older people don't fear becoming dependent and in a way embrace it. This article was an eye opener for me. It made me re think about how I should look at older people because someday I will be one of them. If our society could look at aging in a more positive light maybe we could stop fearing the whole process all together.