The suggestion was put to me - by an older person - that the over sixties would be - on average - out living the younger generation in their thirties and less.
When you are older you have the chance , sometimes for the first time in your life to stand back and think. Think, meaning reflect, like you've never done so before.
Now this makes a lot of sense to me. We, the oldies, have learnt a lot and developed a wide range of skills in our younger life about how to survive and live contentedly. The preoccupation of thirty year-olds and younger like me gave little time to reflection we were intent on taking in experiences but gave little time to reflecting. Now things are far more difficult for thirty year-old and younger these days they are faced with mind numbing technology like mobile phones and computers using Facebook which is creating lots of mental problems for those unable to cope with the effect on personal relationships and could well eventually wear down the ability to cope of the youngsters to deal with the stress that they are experiencing. And stress they have by the bucketful- stress I suspect we never experienced.
What do you think?
If you do think - meaning the act of standing back and reflecting on life in general- I suspect you are over forty !
I say this because I have met some impressive people in their forties that have eveloved an unusual life style that enables them to have a lot of fun even in these difficult times. They are self confident and have the wonderful gift of being not just willing but to listen to us oldies.
Some considerations:
People age sixty five and over experienced the last world war and it's immediate aftereffects.
They have had the opportunity to buy houses at reasonable prices (in the region of between only once and twice their wages). They are now reasonably secure financially.
They have developed the skills of communicating well with others because they use face-to-face rather than remote email and phone technology, skills that lead to strong and lasting friendships.
They are people that value commitment. They have learnt that keeping ones options open is not productive as too often one choice turns out to be no 'better' than another.
They have learnt, through bitter experience, the value of 'healthy' living, the healthiest thing being ones state of mind- ones level of contentment.
If the above is a fair analysis then how can we all benefit.
From the oldies point of view , they have learnt the enjoyment of working hard. They can work alongside the youngsters and do the work that is beyond their resources of energy. They can make life for the younger far more enjoyable by taking over some of their responsibilities: taking charge of the young children, providing encouragement to all age groups, providing stimulation from their wealth of experience and interests.
More as ideas develop!
No comments:
Post a Comment