TimmyH
Inter-Generational Respect
July 18th 2008 01:16
My last post concerned a little social issue. I felt that perhaps elderly people should be helped to do simple tasks which might make their lives much easier, by others who would have to devote considerably less time to the practices. Yes, I know, I'm a horrible person.
Perhaps I’m the one who is naïve here. Perhaps people are so fiercely independent that they just don’t want the help of others. Or better yet, perhaps they are incredibly selective with their choices of help. Either way, I had another shocking revelation this morning about the issue.
I had an appointment to see my GP about a rugby injury. Coming out of the surgery room and into the reception I waited patiently to pay my bill and move on home. There was a woman in front of me who would have been around 70 and from her conversation with the receptionist I found that she lived just down the road in the local Nursing Home about 500 to 700 metres. The receptionist asked the woman if she was ok to get home and was met with a polite “I’ll call a cab.”
Helpful young Gen Y that I am, I offered the woman a ride down the street. Now I am not a fantastic driver. I’ve had a dangerous accident, I’ve driven intoxicated, I’ve flashed along at horrifying speeds on long trips with no sleep and under the influence of absurd amounts of caffeine. But in that surgery reception, I was under the impression that my decidedly flash pin striped trousers and a Ben Sherman dress shirt with cufflinks (consequently the only respectable clothing I own) cleverly concealed my inner hoon. Nobody in that reception was in a position to judge otherwise. Armed with the keys to my Mother’s Peugeot 307 and speaking with unrecognisable tact, I could have been a 6th year Med Student on work experience for all they knew. But regardless, my polite offering was quietly declined.
Now I was by no means offended by this. Don’t want a ride? Not a problem, call a cab, ill go watch some more Gossip Girl and pretend to be socially relevant by blogging. But as I was leaving I heard something that greatly offended me.
A mother of two, with offspring in toe was also leaving the practice and kindly asked the same senior citizen if she was ok to get home. THEN the elderly lady requested a lift from said mother. Are you kidding me? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!
Most of the Gen Y’s I know probably aren’t responsible enough to be trusted with the care of my Grandparents or their friends. In fact, my beer goes with me to the bathroom so my mates don’t consider taking liberties. But this was most certainly NOT one of those occasions.
I’ve heard a lot about the lack of respect young people show to their elders, but this incident would indicate that the street is clearly a two way one. The elderly are slow and cautious, quick to judge but slow to indicate. Generation Y are cavalier, fast and furious, with little respect for long standing conventions and knowledge.
So to ALL the elderly person that will read this post, if that. How about some respect? That’s right! If you want recognition for all the things you’ve done, for your place in society, for the respect you believe you’ve earned, dish some out to the young people out there who are worth your rapidly vanishing time.
We haven’t fought wars, we haven’t battled depressions (emotional ones don’t count) and we’ve only had 3 memorable Prime Ministers. But that doesn’t mean we can’t drive a car down the road or open the odd door. Give us a chance, we can lift heavy things!!
Perhaps I’m the one who is naïve here. Perhaps people are so fiercely independent that they just don’t want the help of others. Or better yet, perhaps they are incredibly selective with their choices of help. Either way, I had another shocking revelation this morning about the issue.
I had an appointment to see my GP about a rugby injury. Coming out of the surgery room and into the reception I waited patiently to pay my bill and move on home. There was a woman in front of me who would have been around 70 and from her conversation with the receptionist I found that she lived just down the road in the local Nursing Home about 500 to 700 metres. The receptionist asked the woman if she was ok to get home and was met with a polite “I’ll call a cab.”
Helpful young Gen Y that I am, I offered the woman a ride down the street. Now I am not a fantastic driver. I’ve had a dangerous accident, I’ve driven intoxicated, I’ve flashed along at horrifying speeds on long trips with no sleep and under the influence of absurd amounts of caffeine. But in that surgery reception, I was under the impression that my decidedly flash pin striped trousers and a Ben Sherman dress shirt with cufflinks (consequently the only respectable clothing I own) cleverly concealed my inner hoon. Nobody in that reception was in a position to judge otherwise. Armed with the keys to my Mother’s Peugeot 307 and speaking with unrecognisable tact, I could have been a 6th year Med Student on work experience for all they knew. But regardless, my polite offering was quietly declined.
Now I was by no means offended by this. Don’t want a ride? Not a problem, call a cab, ill go watch some more Gossip Girl and pretend to be socially relevant by blogging. But as I was leaving I heard something that greatly offended me.
A mother of two, with offspring in toe was also leaving the practice and kindly asked the same senior citizen if she was ok to get home. THEN the elderly lady requested a lift from said mother. Are you kidding me? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!
Most of the Gen Y’s I know probably aren’t responsible enough to be trusted with the care of my Grandparents or their friends. In fact, my beer goes with me to the bathroom so my mates don’t consider taking liberties. But this was most certainly NOT one of those occasions.
I’ve heard a lot about the lack of respect young people show to their elders, but this incident would indicate that the street is clearly a two way one. The elderly are slow and cautious, quick to judge but slow to indicate. Generation Y are cavalier, fast and furious, with little respect for long standing conventions and knowledge.
So to ALL the elderly person that will read this post, if that. How about some respect? That’s right! If you want recognition for all the things you’ve done, for your place in society, for the respect you believe you’ve earned, dish some out to the young people out there who are worth your rapidly vanishing time.
We haven’t fought wars, we haven’t battled depressions (emotional ones don’t count) and we’ve only had 3 memorable Prime Ministers. But that doesn’t mean we can’t drive a car down the road or open the odd door. Give us a chance, we can lift heavy things!!
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