The neglected treasure of elderly wisdom.

————

          Pah!  I spit you out. You are unsquirtable, like curdled curd in an empty Cheez Whiz can, like a Bailey’s Chocolate Cherry without the liquor, like Juicy Fruit gum with nothing left but the gum. Without moisture, you’re no longer useful. I spit you out!  

          All right, That’s exaggerated and a tough way of putting it, but I think a lot of old folks think that’s the way younger folks think of them - as prunes with nothing left but memories of once being plums. 

          That’s sad, and it’s not true. Knowledge accumulated in the course of growing old is treasure for the taking. What’s going on? Ask Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Bob, and Aunt Kay, too. They’ve seen this before, or something very like it. 

          “No, no, no! They’re old. This is a fast-changing technological world, old people don’t know anything about it”. Yes, old people don’t know much about new technology, and young people don’t know much about ageless human realities. Maybe young and old should get together to talk about it. That’s the way it was done in every epoch ‘til now.  

          Young bucks from every tradition throughout time looked to their elders for the calm good sense their own steamy hot blood befogged. How is that not still true? The idea that you can learn from those who preceded you has lately fallen into disuse. History is neglected as unimportant. New has become nearly synonymous with better. Too bad. Wisdom reliably follows experience. Self-assured young fools run boldly over terrain familiarity has already proved quicksand, former tragedy gets repeated as modern farce.

          Fire burns, you needn’t stick your finger in the flame to prove it, over and over again. 

          Old folks need to be brought back to the tribal council. 

          I realize old folks don’t necessarily want to get involved. I’m old, I understand why they don’t. “Young folks don’t care what I think. “Why bother, I won’t be around much longer anyhow”. “I’m tired”, “What good would it do”? All true and sensible thoughts. The sort of common sense common to those who have watched clever ideas crash and burn many times over. They also know what has worked many times over. They have a perspective that isn’t available to the young and inexperienced. 

          The elderly should share what they know, even if they’re not asked. The young should listen, even if they don’t want to. 

          What? You disagree.

          Humph, another young whippersnapper!

          Pah! I spit you out.

By K. L. Shipley

Website: http://www.eclecticessays@gmail.com