Shadow of who we were

I took this cartoon from a friend on fb as I think it has so much to say.

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It was a reminder that when we see old people, too often that is all we see, a shadow of who they were. Lost in the illusion of age are their accomplishments and contributions. Perhaps I need to take more time to discover the real person.

I think there is a lot of value in that cartoon, we didn't just wake up in a country with the freedoms and liberties we have today. Since the inception of the United States of America many generations have had to fight and sacrifice to ensure those freedoms are maintained. Not everyone joined the military, those who stayed behind had to keep the home fires burning and they are also to be congratulated for their tenacity and sacrifices in times of crisis.

I'm so old that I knew Jesus before he was conscripted and Moby Dick was still a minnow but every so often I run in to another older person in my travels and I crave the information they have to share. Nothing makes me happier than sitting with some older folks and listening to them tell me about their lives, what they lived through, and what they have accomplished during their lives. On more than one occasion I have experienced some valuable introspection; just when you think you have life all figured out, someone who has lived longer and experienced more can point out what you don't know.

Someday I may amass enough money to retire, I'm sure that after a couple of months of bumming around the house and harassing my little brother and his family I'll be looking for something to do with my time. Volunteering at a retirement center and a VA hospital seem like wonderful ways to pay back just a little to those who came before us and did so much to make the Untied States of America a world leader and a wonderful place to live.

It's up to us to change our current predicament and we will if the American spirit prevails, maybe some day in the distant future I'll run into a 40-ish year old fellow who shares my enthusiasm and desire to learn from the past.

Whenever I was young I knew people who grew to adulthood before the invention of the automobile and airplane. One had lost a son in WWI and another fought in that war. One had lost a friend to the great flu epidemic. All had lived through Teddy Roosevelt's presidency, and the Great Depression, and then WWII. Two of those old people that I knew never learned to drive a car but depended upon horses all of their lives.

At the time, I was too young to know the wealth of experience that was at my whim to learn.

Isn't that the truth? Youth has a way of not recognizing the value of experience. At least I didn't when I wore a younger man's clothes. Often I've reflected on my tragic failings with regard to that perception when I started work in the oil industry. Only as I've matured have I begun to value experience for all it has to offer. And thankfully, accepting the value has really allowed me to grow.

Life is very resilient is what old folks teach us. People have a way of making it through very difficult times. Death from war probably touched most families at some point or another inflicting huge amounts or personal pain and sudden unexpected family difficulties. Beyond that, old folks have much to offer no matter where they come from or who they are. Just imagine what you can learn, for example, from a refugee who grew up in Somalia. I can't but wonder if there are old Somalians since life is so difficult.

I'm reminded of another aspect here. It's not always the old folks who can teach us new tricks. But, it is age and a level of maturity that helps us enough to take time an listen and embrace new knowledge, even trivial in of itself.

My mother....soon to be 94, has such a wealth of knowledge and insight to give. I have, of course, heard her stories of the "early years" many, many times. But each time she tells a story, new details come to light....and I say " you never told me that before" and she smiles and tells me, you were never this interested before. I am trying to delve deep into her memories as much as I can, I don't know how long I will have her, and there is still so much I don't know.

She was an accomplished woman for her era, wanting to be a journalist, but deciding instead on pursuing her love of ballet. She went to NYC, on her own in the 1930's and followed her dream. My father was supposed to join her there as he had been accepted to Julliard.....but that was not to be, and they returned to western NY to begin their life together. What she has seen, and experienced, and learned gives me such an understanding of the times and history of this country that no history book can capture.

People made this country, it is their words that will teach us about this country. When I moved south and wished to understand the culture and history of the deep south, it wasn't history books I turned to, but to the novels written during the civil war, and during the reconstruction......that is where understanding comes from, the people.

Archer, are you writing this down or recording it in some way? I too hear much from my parents, but have lost the details. We all have a unique way of telling our stories, ie. my mom. I wish I had captured that uniqueness as it was vibrant, much more so than my flawed recollections.

Rockdoc, yes, some of it....but my mom, the wannabe journalist, has kept a daily diary for over 60 years, before that it was only on special occassions. She has never let my brother or I read them, but tells us that when she dies she hopes we will read and learn about her, in her own words. That will be her gift to us....

archer wrote: Rockdoc, yes, some of it....but my mom, the wannabe journalist, has kept a daily diary for over 60 years, before that it was only on special occassions. She has never let my brother or I read them, but tells us that when she dies she hopes we will read and learn about her, in her own words. That will be her gift to us....

Wow, what a gift.

What a gift indeed. You are very fortunate, and I'm delighted for you, Archer. What I would give to know more of my parents younger lives, not to mention taking time to write down mother's many stories. Where is the emoticon for kicking yourself? Perhaps some day we can share some stories?

Gave the thread a more appropriate title.